Something more
by skeleton-leaf
Summary: Two years have passed since the dark period of senior year, the blot on their history together. And for the first time the group is back together for the summer...the whole group. What will it mean for Rory, Tristan and Theo's triangle? The 2nd installmen
1. Chapter 1

This story is the second in my Skeleton Leaves Trilogy. Taking place at the end of the first year of University for Rory's graduating Chilton year. There may be some reader confusion with allusions to the first installment which I will publish after this one. This story is not TRORY, although it contains flash-backs to the first installment. It revolves around Tristan because I love him, although I don't think Rory and he would ever have ended up together. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Disclaimer: I own less than nothing

The last sun of winter glinted off the long blonde braids of the girl hurrying across the quad to where her best-friend stood looking lost.

"Rory!" She cried. The brunette turned and a smile of relief washed over her pretty face.

"Theo!" The flew into each others arms and Theo choked on the emotion. Almost a year, almost a year since they had seen each other. She couldn't believe it. After spending almost every day together for so long. She couldn't bring herself to let go. When they finally did Rory found herself subconsciously patting Theo's blonde braids.

"Your hair…you've changed it" Theo reached for a braid and brought it to her face as if to scrutinise it.

"Oh yeah, it's been like this for ages now…come on let's go get coffee".

They had settled in a smoky under-ground coffee-shop not far from the Columbia campus. Their first year of college was drawing to a swift close. Theo had arrived back only the day before and she and Rory would spend the weekend in New York before they headed back to Connecticut.

It was two months into her first year of an Anthropolgy degree with a major in politics, that Theo had been made, in every sense of the word, an offer she could not refuse. Along with two other under-graduates she would be sent on a 10 month tour of Eastern Europe, staying with American ambassadors as part of a program sponsored by the United Nations. Rory had waved off from JFK with tears in both their eyes.

Rory found herself watching Theo, scrutinizing her as the journalism course had taught her to do so well. Their brief – if intense – frienship, formed in junior year at Chilton, had been one frought with the dramatics associated with the teenage years. Rory was embarrassed now when she remembered the way she had behaved, how angry she had been over an imagined betrayal. How she hadn't been there for Theo when she made her sacrifice.

And her friend had changed, perhaps in the intervening year in which they hadn't seen each other, at least, that was what Rory hoped. But she had a feeling that this change had been occurring for closer to three years. Her voice was quieter, the excessive hand movements and theatrics had calmed but most of all, so had those eyes. Those eyes that had flashed and sparkled constantly now seemed dead. But there was too much there now for Rory to just casually ask, _So, how have you been? Do you still think about him? Still cry over him and secretly hate me a little? _She hated having all these things she'd never say.

They spent the weekend at art museums and an international short-film festival that was being held but Rory couldn't suppress the gnawing feeling in her stomach each time Theo did something so out-of-character. They were only ever small things, but significant. On the Saturday night they out for dinner, to an expensive restaurant called _Saffron_. After being told that the restaurant was full and she had not made a reservation Theo quietly said to the maitre di;

"My name is Theodora Adams, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that I don't need to make a reservation". It had worked and they had been ushered quickly by the embarrassed maitre di to a lovely table, but Rory couldn't hide her shock.

"What was that? We used to eat anywhere they were offering a two-for-one deal" Theo shrugged.

"It gets things done".

They never took a taxi, instead, Theo employed a driver. When Rory realised this she asked Theo about Stella.

"That old thing? I never ride anymore" Theo told her.

"But you loved that motor-bike!" Theo shrugged.

"Write it off as one of those rebellious teenage phases".

But most shocking of all, was her confession about Nate.

"You're what!" Rory cried, disturbing the other patrons of the gelato shop they were in. Theo blushed.

So much about Theo had changed. Rory had been surprised by the new way she dressed and carried herself, but a year-long romance with Nathan Gates? She had never see Theo as one of Nathan's girls.

It would be okay though. They were leaving for Hartford that afternoon, Theo was taking them in the convertible Nate had given her for a birthday present. A whole summer together and Rory would get to the bottom of this.

Let me know what you think, I'll be updating in the next couple of days until we get into the swing of the story.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: The usual, I own nothing_

It was the first party of the season. Yet more than that it was _his _party, and that made all the difference to the old gang. Rory and Logan were pulling to a stop in the circular drive when Rory saw Louise Grant being helped from a limousine by an older man. She let out a small squeal. This must be the fiancee she had heard about.

Louise saw Rory and clacked towards her in her towering heels. They hugged and Rory didn't miss the glow about her old friend.

"This is Rupert Rory, my fiancee" She leant back into him and he reached for her hand.

"Rory is one of my _best _friends from Chilton Rup". Rory scrutinized him. He was older than Louise that was obvious, Rory guessed mid-to-late thirties. She had heard through the grapevine that he was a merchant banker, distinguished, tasteful, exactly who Rory had always seen Louise marrying. The old Janis Ian song ran through her mind and brought a smile to her lips.

_Love was meant for beauty-queens and high-school girls with clear-skinned smiles who married young and then retired._

She recovered herself when she felt Logan's hand on her shoulder.

"It's lovely to meet you Rupert" She shook his hand gently. "This is Logan Huntzberger. Logan you'd remember Louise" Rory ended the sentence with clenched teeth and Louise blushed. Rory and Logan had been on their first "break" when he and Louise first met. Rory, along with half the party, had later walked in on the pair in a compromising situation in the kitchen of Colin's parents' home. Rupert looked confused and ran his fingers through his short dark-blonde hair. He was very handsome, Rory thought. He was dressed casually that evening in a pair of chinos and a black long-sleeved shirt with cream flecks. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and kept his hair trimmed very short. It was already flecked with a little grey. He had an air of fun around him still though. He smiled gently.

"We should get inside"

Tristan DuGrey stood at the front door of his parents' home greeting his guests. They were all the old crowd. He sighed inwardly, scanning the crowd of people for the faces he might possibly want to see. He broke into a grin when he saw Louise and Rupert coming towards him. Louise had been the first person he'd seen when he arrived back for the summer. She had visited him as soon as she heard he was back, helped him plan this party and told him all about the wedding. The three of them went out for dinner the week later. He shook Rupert's hand and pulled Louise into a hug with a kiss on the cheek. The next time he looked up Lorelai Leigh Gilmore was standing in front of him.

"Well, well, well. Mary…how are you?"

Logan and Rory walked into the party. She shook her head slowly taking it in, it was like she'd stepped back in time to Louise's party all those years ago. Logan squeezed her arm,

"Want a drink?" She nodded.

"Just one thanks" He returned with Finn, Colin and Stephanie in tow, proffering a glass of champagne to his girlfriend. She took it with a smile. She vaguely recognized people from college or worse, from hih-school. Duncan and Bowman were nowhere to be seen she realised with a smirk. Madeline passed by with a dejected Paris. Rory hugged her, trying not to look sympathetic. Doyle had broken up with her that week andshe had worked herself up and was convinced that this was the end of the world.

"What are you drinking?" She asked Rory.

"Champagne"

"I need some of that"

"Absolutely love, splendid idea. Drinks all around" ranted Finn as he went off in search of the bottle.

"Have you met Rupert?" Paris rolled her eyes and gladly took the flute being given to her. Rory squeezed her arm.

"Well you and I can be alone and miserable together next week, Logan's going on a trip to visit his parents" Rory told her and Paris just nodded while Colin giggled.

A while later, coming back from the bathroom Rory ran into Tristan. He was a little tippled already and got straight to the point.

"Have you seen her?"

"Of course, yes" She answered distractedly, her eyes darting around for a release.

"How is she?"

"Look, Tristan…I don't know okay"

"What do you mean you don't know? Of course you know. I just want to know how she is, what she's doing"

"I'm not giving you dirt on Theo Tristan"

"I'm not asking for dirt" He was raising his voice and a few people turned to look. He sighed loudly in frustration and grasped Rory's elbow, dragging her into the hallway.

"Don't man-handle me Tristan"

"For God's sake Rory. I'm just asking questions"  
"They're questions I don't feel comfortable answering" He shook his head and roll his eyes.

"God, what is wrong with wanting to know about an old friend? You're just pre-occupying yourself with all the stupid adolescent crap from junior year". Rory looked up at him, her eyes glinting.

"Judging by the look in your eyes Tristan, it's you who's pre-occupied with stupid adolescent crap from junior year"

_Rory checked for traffic and dashed across the road. She was meeting her grandmother for lunch in half-an-hour and wanted to get a coffee-to-go before-hand._

_"Mary!" She started as somebody grasped her arm._

_"Tristan?" Her eyes were wide, with shock? He stared at her for a few seconds before letting her go._

_"That's what they say" She blushed and then hugged him before stepping back and scrutinising him. He looked different, older somehow, not physically, maybe in his eyes or the way he set his jaw._

_"How are you?" He asked, barely believing his luck at running into his Mary._

_"I'm great, I'm…I'm late actually. I'm meeting my grandmother for lunch soon and I wanted to fit in a coffee"_

_"I'll walk you to the nearest Starbucks" She smiled and they set off._

_He had done well at military school, risen through the ranks and joined the Marines. They were sending him to college, he was studying Law, at Harvard, just like his father never wanted._

_"I thought I'd run into you there this year. Of course I've spent most of my time holed up in the library" Rory cocked an eyebrow and he smirked._

_"Don't look so surprised all those years the bookworm in me was just waiting to come out"_

_"Well," Rory began, "I didn't go to Harvard, I decided on Yale instead, it's closer. I'm enjoying it, somewhat. The social scene is good"_

_"What a reversal" He smirked again. They carefully avoided the topic of Theo as they talked about old friends. But eventually Rory realised the time._

_"I really do have to go though Tristan" He nods and stands to see her out._

_"I'm having a party, this weekend. You should come. And…and feel free to bring anyone you want" He told her suggestively as they left the coffee shop. Her eyes darkened and she knew who was alluding to._

_"I'll see, that'll be nice" She stood up on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "It was good to see you"._

_"It was good to see you too Mar,"_

_Rory and Theo sat by the pool at Rory's grandparents' house with mugs of coffee. If Theo had been looking she would have the seen the indecision in Rory's stormy eyes. Finally, blurting it out she garbled;_

_"I saw Tristan the other day," If Theo was startled by hearing this name she didn't show it. She simply waited for Rory to go on. "He's uh…he's with the Marines, studying law. He's having a party this weekend, on Friday night, at his place. Logan and I are going to go if you wanted to as well". Theo finishes her coffee and shrugs._

_"I'd love to," she says with no emotion. "But it's Nate and my one-year anniversary and he's taking me out for a surprise"._

Rory spies Logan standing with boys and sneaks up on them. They were talking quietly about his trip away the next week she imagined. He started when she wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh Ace it's you, god I thought it Paris getting all needy"

"Paris? Needy?" Rory chuckled. "Were you telling the boys about your trip?"

"His trip?" slurred Finn as he ambled over. "When did it become his trip?" Logan made cutting motions across his throat but Finn babbled on;

"I was the one that came up with the idea"

"What idea?" Rory asked suspiciously.

"He's drunk"

"Shut up Logan" She hissed. "What idea Finn?" Finn was looking uncertainly from Logan to Rory.

"Uh…the idea uh…to uh…to go to uh…the boys weekend in Vegas" He finished quickly.

"Really? Well that is very interesting Finn considering _my _boyfriend is supposed to be visiting his parents next weekend. It's interesting wouldn't you say Logan?"

"Uh…very" He replied with an uncertain smile. She wheeled on him in fury.

"Doesn't Helen live in Vegas?" Rory asked cuttingly. Helen was one of Logan's many girls on campus.

"I uh…I'm not sure"

Across the room an increasingly uncomfortable Rupert was attempting to give an increasingly drunken Paris banking advice.

"Well my best bet would be to take three quarters of your shares out of…" Paris held up her hand to stop him.

"Juss a minud" She slurred as she reached for another cup of ambiguity and downed it like a football captain. "Okay…"

"Uh…as I was saying…" And then all of a sudden it happened, she burst into tears, lurching on him.

"How can she be and I'm and then aaaahhhh" Sobs wracked her body while an appalled Rupert calmly patted her back. Madeline materialised in an instant and started dragging her away.

"Rory!" A furious Rory turned to where Madeline was standing with Paris who was sniffling and moaning something about Louise being a sex fiend and a husband stealer. Her anger melted away.

"Honey?" As she leant into Paris she could smell the reek of alcohol seeping from her pores. "I think I'd better take her home" She turned back to Logan.

"Give me your keys" He hesitated. "You'd better give me your keys now or so help me God Logan" he quickly fumbled through his pockets and handed her the keys to his Porsche.

Slowly, with the help of Colin and Tristan she managed to get Paris in the car.

"How can Louish be getting married and I'm all alone?" Paris was sobbing.

"It'll be okay honey" Rory said quietly as she pulled out of the driveway. "We'll all be okay."

**AN:** I know it's a bit different but bear with me. This story has been in my mind for a while now.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** I've said it before but I'll say it again; I know this is different. It is definitely NOT a Trory, I never saw that working but I love Tristan. Again as well, I know that some of it may be a little difficult to understand as this is the second in a trilogy and the prequel has not yet been published, but please persevere.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the characters of Theodora Adams, Nate, Wills, Harry and Lisa Baklien.

3.

Rory stood in front of the mirror shrugging her ear to her shoulder to try and juggle the hands-free phone while she held dresses up against herself in her bedroom at Emily and Richard's house.

"I really do love Rupert though," Theo was saying. Rory nodded before realising with a smile that her friend couldn't see her.

"He's a sweetheart. He dealt so well with the Paris incident" Theo giggled on the other end.

"Oh that's going to go down in history. I almost wish I could've been there to see it" Rory smiled again.

"Do you think I should go for blue?" She began holding the floaty chiffon shift to herself, "…or white?" This one was more fitted, with thick straps and a-line skirt and a buckle on the back.

"No white after labor day" Theo was giggling again, but there was something slightly reprimanding in her tone that Rory didn't miss. "I think you should go with the white…all you ever wear is blue"

"Oh yeah well all you ever wear is…is…oh you've worn every colour of the rainbow. You're no fun!"

Theo was standing in front of the mirror as well, fingering the string of priceless pearls around her throat. They had been her gift from Nate for their anniversary two weeks before and she was finally getting to wear them.

"So Logan's not going tonight?" Rory scowled.

"No, he's got some thing for his parents, a dedication of some phallic monument no doubt" Theo smiled and squealed as Nate wrapped his strong arms around her. They were at his parents' house, going to Louise's engagement party at Hartford's newest nightspot, _Fa_, there. She giggled and stretched her neck for a kiss. He complied, trailing soft kisses down to the collar of her silk dressing gown.

"Um Ror, I'm going to have to go, I'll see you at the party." Saying goodbye, Theo hung up the phone and turned into Nate's embrace.

Tristan looked up from his place at the bar when the commotion began. Someone had arrived late. There was a shimmer and a shine and then, emerged from the crowd a tall, stunning blonde. Tristan was about to ask Madeline who it was when he saw those eyes. They were as black as he remembered.

"Theo" he found himself murmuring. What had happened to her? The clinging black dress fell off her newfound curves and she had grown taller and where there had once been unruly black curls there was now blonde.

His heart started to beat faster and he swallowed the lump of pure adrenaline in his throat. Downing the last of his scotch he quickly made his way to a balcony of the bar. Leaning on it he took a deep breath. What the fuck was wrong with him? God, they hadn't been together in so long and just seeing her…just seeing her. Was it guilt that made his stomach rattle around in his gut? Was it fear that she would hate him still? He took another deep breath but turned when he heard his name.

"She's here" Lisa informed him. Lisa was his date for the evening, a purely platonic date, but date at that. She was still gorgeous, still bubbly with the long blonde curls. "We should go say hello", she suggested quietly. Lisa hadn't seen her either; she had only flown in from Oxford the night before and was camping out at his place for a few weeks holiday with the old gang. He nodded.

"Are you okay?" He laughed ruefully before composing himself and turning.

"Fine" She look at him uncertainly before smiling brightly and taking his arm.

They made their way towards her; the old group, Louise and Madeline, Wills, Paris and Harry had surrounded her. Tristan plastered a grin on his face as he greeted the boys with those man-hugs where they slap each other on the back and laugh a lot to show it's purely heterosexual. He kissed the girls on their cheeks and congratulated Louise again before turning to her.

"Hello Theo" He mentally slapped himself on the forehead. A two years and all he can come up with is _Hello Theo _and what's worse he makes it sound like _Hello Theo! Here I am again after all this time! Worship me!_ She smiled graciously.

"Tristan! It's so good to see you" But her voice was shallow, he heard hell everyone heard it. She lifted her cheek for a kiss but he started. She was the image of every other D.A.R wife. Recovering himself he kissed her chastely.

Then his eyes fell to her fingers, interwoven with Nathan's and it was all clear to him, why everyone had clammed up, why Paris and Rory had refused to give him her new number, or even tell him what college she was attending. She didn't see how his eyes changed and instead smiled generously.

"Well…it was nice to see you again Tristan," She said quietly before being lead away by Nathan.

Theo willed herself to feel something when she watched him. She was embarrassed when she remembered how in awe of him she'd been just a few years before. He'd been nothing but a boy but she'd thought he was magical. He was no boy anymore though. Any of the features of youth left when he had left in the middle of that night had been stripped away. His jaw was more chiseled and he was taller, his hair neat and not the tousled mass of blonde it had once been. His lips weren't as full as she remembered them, but then, she'd remembered covering hers, creeping across her skin. What should she feel when she saw someone who hurt her so much? More pain, or does the mixture of love, anger and hate cancel all out and just leave a sensation of psychological novocaine?

She shivered unconsciously and Nathan wrapped his arm around her.

"Are you cold babe?" She smiled gently, still distracted.

"A little" He ran his finger down her cheek and smiled absently at her.

"It's okay, just another couple of hours and we can go home" She nodded and looked up, searching for him again but he had disappeared in the crowd.

Tristan came face-to-face with Rory at the bar.

"Drinking Mary?" He asked and she glared at him. He smiled ruefully and raised his arms in defense. "I promise that was the last, for old times sake".

"Sure Bible Boy" They laughed but neither heart was in it.

"Is Logan here?" Tristan asked. Rory shook her head.

"He had a thing with his parents"

"Lucky bastard" Tristan muttered and Rory looked at him in pity. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked testily.

"You've seen her...and Nathan" It was a statement, not a question. "She kept me as much in the dark as you. I only found out a couple of weeks ago if it makes you feel any better". Tristan leaned on the bar and asked for a scotch and soda before nodding.

"Shocker huh? Never saw Nathan as someone Theo'd be interested in" Rory raised her eyebrows at their conflicting views.

"Mmm"

"Ah well...how's your summer turning out?" Rory smiled.

"Wonderfully of course"

"Of course" he replied with a grin, cradling the tumbler.

"How are you going Tristan?" He cringed before he rubbed his chin.

"Surprisingly well...starting my second year of college, I think the old man might actually be proud of me"

"Is that so surprising?" He raised his eyebrows and laughed.

"Of course and I bet your mom and grandparents are ridiculously proud of you" Rory smiled ruefully at him and he nodded leaving it alone for now.

"I think Tristan, that this is one of those time when the story's not going to work out the way readers would want. Go back to Paris or Rory or any of those other girls just leave me alone" He reached for her but she pulled away, fixing an icy stare on him.

"I can't"

"Let me reiterate this for you Tristan, we're not friends, we never were…now there's nothing for us accept that, I have"

He watched her move around the party that night, greeting old friends and new and it became obvious to him as fury bubbled, that everyone else knew about this. He watched her as she went outside for air and quietly, he slipped away from the boys at the bar and followed her. She was rubbing her hands up and down her arms as she looked down over the quiet street.

"Are you cold?" She started at hearing the same question so soon and then again on she recognised the voice.

"No…I'm fine" She hadn't turned yet and he moved closer to her.

"Are you sure? Because I couldn't understand why you're here with him unless you were anything but fine" She grimaced and turned to him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb Theo, it's not you. You know what I'm talking about. Nate! What is going on between you two?" She looked away nervously, biting her lip.

"We're together Tristan, we have been for a year. See these pearls?" She tugged gently at the string; "They were my anniversary present. The car I drive? Another present. We live together in New York. Anything else you'd like to know? How many times a day we have sex?" He cringed and her heart soared knowing she'd hit a nerve but she left it alone. She was over the chase of seeing who could get to whom first. He looked at the ground and then back at those eyes.

"I just want to know what happened to you," He took a step closer to her but she shied away. If she had looked up she would have seen the shock and confusion in his eyes.

"What do you want from me Tristan?" Quietly she slipped off the balcony.

She sought out Nate near the bar. She stood silently beside him until he'd finished talking and turned to her.

"Nate, I'm sorry but could you please take me home? I'm not feeling well" His eyes filled with concern.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" She nodded.

"I just want to go home…to _my _home" Together they made their apologies and left as he helped her into her coat he saw Tristan watching him. A seed of concern started niggling in the pit of his stomach.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place tonight? I'd really like you to" She shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry Nate, I just want to go home. I feel really awful" He sighs but drives her home. When they pull up in front of the beautiful house in Babylon Drive he kisses h forehead.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

She made her way upstairs slowly hoping not to run into anybody in the silent house. She shed her dress in her bedroom and threw it onto the chair, wrapped herself in another dressing gown and switched on the light in the adjoining bathroom. She slowly took off her make-up scrutinising herself in the mirror. She looked so miserable; she barely recognised herself tonight. Theo leant forward into the basin, splashing the water onto her face, the house was deathly quiet but her min was screaming.

_What did he want from her? Why could he still make her feel like this? So helpless and distraught? She had tried to prepare for this, for seeing him. She knew that she would see him this summer. She had tried to be strong but he broke her every time._

She made her way to her bed and crawled in thankfully before switched off her light. Across the boundary Tristan's bedroom light switched on.

**AN: **Please, please review. Oh God how I want one review!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **_I can't help but notice the significant lack of reviews. Every other story has a review, even stories that only have 1 chapter. I always told myself I wouldn't care if I didn't get a review but I do, I really do...unless nobody's reading the story, then it'd be okay because at least you weren't just ignoring the whole R&R rule...and, consequently me but...I'm babbling._

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Gilmore Girls, or it's characters, obviously. And I can't believe I have to state this at the beginning of every update._

Rory's POV 

Rory knew Logan was already asleep, but she couldn't. She wasn't even slightly tired. He had gotten back from New York, where he'd been with his parents, that morning and they had driven to Martha's Vineyard that morning for the summer season. They had dinner with Nate and Theo at a local restaurant and ended up back at his parents villa. The next day was the Lindemann's garden party and then the DuGrey ball. She sighed softly, wondering when everything got so compllicated, when everything stopped being the cookie-cutter world of a few years ago. Maybe when Theo arrived and shook everything up, maybe before then, maybe Tristan, maybe Dean…or maybe she was just remembering those days with the rose-tinted lenses of hind-sight.

Never, then, would she have thought that she would have been this girl, one of Logan's girl. She rolled onto her back and stared at the impeccable white ceiling. When they had first met she had thought that he was the most arrogant, spoilt, conceited prat she had ever met…well second maybe only to Tristan. But then it had changed, she had changed and the next thing she knew she was in a "no strings" relationship with him. Her mother had been appalled. She supposed that Lorelai thought she was making the same mistake she had at 16 but she wasn't, she knew she wasn't…didn't she?

Lorelai, now there was another story. Tristan had started down that road at Louise's engagement party but Rory didn't like talking about it, the falling out. It wasn't full-blown, not yet at least. But Rory knew that they were heading to the ultimate showdown. They still talked, but mostly for old times sake, not like they once had. It started with Dean and her mothers' disapproval of her choices there. What she didn't understand was that they were Rory's choices, morally right or wrong. She hadn't even spoken about this with Theo.

Theo had looked so beautiful at dinner that night. So calm and pretty in her lavender skirt-suit. It wasn't the type of thing she used to wear, the type of outfit Rory was used to seeing. But then, Theo wasn't the girl she used to be. She had been quiet at dinner, picking at her food, smiling when required and speaking when spoken to. Rory had asked her, at one point, if she had seen Tristan at the engagement party and Theo had looked up at her with panicked eyes before answering that he had come over to say hello.

"It was good to see him" She had said, her voice spiritless. And Rory had inwardly sighed. What had happened to them all?

_The two girls picked their way through the grounds surrounding Chilton until they found an overturned log hidden by foliage. They sat down and Theo lit a cigarette._

"_Well well, my favourite ladies" The two conspirators looked up to see Tristan standing before them._

"_Shit" muttered Theo._

"_You know smoking is illegal around here" _

"_Thank you, I've already been informed of that" Tristan smirked._

"_I'm noticing some hostile energy around you" He told Theo._

"_Yeah in my fifth chakra right? If you don't mind we're having a girl talk" Tristan laid his hand over her heart._

"_Don't tell me that you're confessing us to a virtual stranger Rory?" Theo frowned and turned to look at Rory who had been beet red._

"_There is no us" She told him, standing up quickly. Tristan just kept smirking and Theo groaned, stubbing out her cigarette._

"_Come on" She said to Rory, dragging her away._

It was a promising start to their relationship but somewhere along the line, behind closed doors and away from the eyes of most of their group, Tristan and Theo became close. Closer than Rory had seen anyone else get to him. They lived next door to each other, maybe that helped, but they just clicked. Rory had known that they were friends, very close friends. She knew now that she had guessed about them, that she had known long before she heard the whispers. She had been hurt, by both of them. Neither of them had seen fit to tell her but more than that, Theo – her best friend outside of Stars Hollow, the girl who understood her predicament because she was more-or-less in the same position – and Tristan – the boy who confused her and challenged her, the boy she had such a crush on, she still blushes around him – found each other and she was shut out.

Louise was babbling, nobody was listening except for Madeline until something cae up about Theo and Tristan. Rory pricked up her ears.

"_What?"_

"_You mean you didn't know?" Louise asks incredulously. Rory shook her head and Louise grinned, happy to be able to share her gossip twice. "Oh my God Rory, tune in, Tristan and Theo, major coupledom"_

"_What?"_

"_Tristan DuGrey and Theo Adams are together"  
"Since when?" Rory asked, still not believing what she was hearing. It couldn't be true._

"_Well, my source tells me that apparently they've been seeing each oth for months. But they were first caught out on the weekend at _my _party"_

"_Caught out?" Madelin pushed in at this stage.  
"Ruth Jansen walked in on them making out in a bathroom on the first floor"_

"_I could have told you guys this months ago" Lisa put in quietly. Louise turned to her, incensed._

"_What?"_

"_Well she's been sneaking out for that long, I guessed it was to meet him when Wills told me that Tristan had been sneaking out as well"_

"_And you didn't see fit to tell me?" Louise demanded. Lisa shrugged._

"_I figured if they were sneaking around it was for a reason". Rory quietly stood up, packing away her books into her bag._

"_Where are you going Gilmore?" Paris snapped._

"_I have something to do" Without waiting for a response Rory hurried out of the library where they'd been working on their group project. _

_Theo was lying on her bed, Tristan was picking her up in fifteen minutes to take her into West Union for dinner. There was a knock on her bedroom door and she jumped up smiling, he was early. She threw open the door to see Rory._

"_Rory hey! What's up? Oh God I haven't missed a Franklin meeting have I?" She asked, feigning fear of the wrath of Paris. Rory didn't smile._

"_No…is it true?" Theo stopped short, trying to swallow the small lump of fear in her stomach._

"_Is what true?" She moved back from the door and Rory entered the room, closing the door behind her._

"_You and Tristan Theo! You and Tristan! Are you with him?" Theo cringed._

"_Rory…"_

"_No! No! I am so sick of that tone of voice, are you with him? It's a very simple question"_

"_No, yes…sort of. We've been seeing each other"_

"_How long?"_

"_Ror…"_

"_How long?" Her voice was frosty and she glared at Theo._

"_A while now" Rory nodded._

"_Right…and you didn't tell me"  
"There was nothing to tell…nothing really" Rory snorted._

"_You knew Theo, you knew how I felt about him. God we talked about just the other week. You let me go on and on like a freaking idiot"_

"_I'm sorry"_

"_So am I…because let me assure you that this friendship is over" Tears sprang to Theo's eyes._

"_Rory no…" Slowly Rory turned and left the room, closing the door behind her._

Rory shuddered when she remembered that day, how selfish she'd bee. If she did it over again she couldn't be that person, not now that she knew the consequences. It had been about a week later that Theo had sought her out in the library. They hadn't spoken since the day Rory had confronted her and Theo had a few days off school being at home sick, but Rory knew better. Rory had looked up at her, her eyes questioning. Theo had simply stated:

"It's over, I broke it off with him". They had never really spoken about it after that.

Rory rolled over to face Logan and, curling into a ball, burrowed closer to him, praying silently for sleep.

Theo's POV 

She was getting used to this weather. It was summer, but on the beach at Martha's vineyard the weather was cool. She balled her fists into the pockets of her cardigan and pushed on on her ramble up the coast-line. As she gazed out to the ocean she remembered her first walk along this beach.

_The breeze whipped against her bare legs and tangled her loose hair. Lily and Katherine had helped her choose an outfit for that afternoon but she was being made to wear a hat and gloves which horrified her, the only time she'd ever worn a hat was when they were in Africa! She was lost in thought when the shadow was cast across her and she looked up at Tristan DuGrey. He grinned at her._

"_Well well, Theo Adams, a pleasure!" Theo smiled brusquely._

"_Hello Tristan" He grinned. He hadn't bothered her since that first day when he had called her Magdalene and instead had been on his best behaviour, she supposed to butter up Rory. Se had been surprised when Rory had told her about the kiss. Surprised that Rory, who seemed to straight, so planned, so determined, would give in to somebody like Tristan. _

"_You're going to the Lindemann's garden party?" He asked and she nodded, resuming her wandering and feeling fall into step beside her._

"_Yes, and the DuGrey ball incidentally"_

"_Of course" He replied, the ball was an annual event hosted by his grandparents at their estate that evening. "Well then, I'll have to give you the grand tour of the DuGrey estate" He told her and she looked at him, surprised when their eyes met, at seeing an intensity there she hadn't expected._

"_We'll see" She replied, balling her fists into the pocket of her light sweater_.

Unconsciously she took her hands out of her pockets and headed towards home. It was the DuGrey ball that evening. She and Nate had put in an appearance at the Lindemann's garden party that morning. She might try to deny it but she was dreading the ball, dreading seeing him again. With his questions and his assumptions. She cleared the short hill that led to her parents' property and made her way to the front of the house as Nate's car pulled into the driveway. She hurried to the driver's side to meet him. He grinned and hugged her to him, kissing her softly on her lips.

On the balcony, Katherine scowled at the sight.

Tristan's POV He stood in front of the full-length mirror readjusting his black tie. He had to be at his grandparents' house well before the ball was to begin at seven. He checked his watch again, it was four o'clock. Would she be getting ready yet? Maybe choosing out a dress, playing with her hair to see how it looks best, or maybe luxuriating in a hot bath. He closed his eyes and let that image fill his mind. Groaning softly he pulled himself back to reality but only for a moment before memories of that ball washed over him. 

He and Jenna had made their way to the deserted library on the first floor, he had taken her in his arms, kicking the door almost closed behind them as they made their way to the oak desk at one end of the room. They moved so that she was sitting on the desk with her long, sculpted legs wrapped around his waist. He reached for the hem of her pink ball gown, drawing it up with his left hand while he slipped the strap of her dress off her shoulder with his right. He dipped his head to suck on her neck and she threw her head back, drawing him closer. He groaned and thrust himself against her, in the back of his mind he thought he heard someone calling his name but he shook it off.

He was completely lot in his mind when Jenna squealed, brought back to earth he turned to see Theo Adams standing in the doorway, shocked at the sight.

"I…I'm sorry" She stammered quietly before hurrying out. Tristan banged his fist on the desk as Jenna giggled. When she tried to draw him close again he recoiled.

"Sorry babe but the moments gone" She pouted. "Maybe later" he added and she brightened up.

Jenna had left but Tristan still stayed alone in the library in his grandfathers winged high-back chair, helping himself to brandy. He couldn't understand why he cared that Theo had walked in on him. Ordinarily he would have smirked and invited her to join in. Or just ignored it. It wasn't like she was Rory who would've needed years of therapy for her virgin eyes. Yet there it was, he did care. He slammed the glass down on the desk with such force that it shattered. Dammnit! He had to get a hold of himself he hated not being in control of his emotions. He stood, leaving the glass where it was and made his way back to the party.

Finally he was happy with his tie and he made his way downstairs. Lisa and his mother were waiting for him, he was taking them to the ball. He had hoped his mother wouldn't go but she couldn't pass up an opportunity to have a public dig at his father. He supposed she couldn't blame her. Cal DuGrey, after all, had not held up his end of the standard society marriage agreement, choosing to make his last affair public.

"Are you ready mother?" Anna smiled sedately.

"As ever" He took her arm and led her out to the driveway with Lisa following behind. He couldn't resist looking to Theo's house. As his mother got into his car he saw Nate's car pulling into the driveway and Theo coming up from the beach. He scowled as he watched them kiss. Nevermind though, he would put an end to this little fling of theirs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_The regular, I own Theo, her parents and a few others, obviously not **The Gilmore Girls**_

Rory and Theo were high on life as they made their way up the driveway of Theo's house.

"No, you're getting it wrong" Theo was loudly telling her best friend. "It's _did she hear about that brand new benz you just bought for me_ not _did she hear about those brand new things you just bought for me?_" Rory just giggled.

"Whatever…sounds like you and Nate with all that car buying" Theo fell silent and Rory realised her faux pas. "Oh I'm sorry to bring him up"

"No it's okay it's just that he can be such a jealous bastard at times. He makes me…"

"What?"

"Oh I don't know" Theo frowned and kicked a pebble.

"You'll ruin your shoes"

"This is true"

_Tristan and Theo stood in the deserted parlour staring at each other._

"_Well?" She asked, waving her arms about her. "What did you need to say?" He stared at the floor before looking up at her._

"_Theo," He began "…I know that our history isn't great." She laughed ruefully. "But it's ours," He continued, "and I don't want how it ended last time to be the last chapter of us" _

"_What are you trying, very ineloquently I might add, to say Tristan?" He rolled his eyes heavenward and shuffled his feet._

"_For God's Sake Theo I'm saying that I want us okay. I want us to be back together. I want you" He started to move toward her until he heard Nate._

"_What the hell's going on here?" He demanded from the entry way. Theo turned to him._

"_Nothing darling" She said calmly. "We're just talking"_

"_Like hell you are" He crossed to her and grasped her forearm. "You," He said, pointing to Tristan, "stay the hell away from my girlfriend. And you are coming home with me, now" He said to Theo. She looked at him in shock._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_We're leaving!" He hissed. She shook her arm free._

"_You might be but I'm not going anywhere" He looked from her to Tristan and then back to her before throwing his arms up in defeat. _

"_Fine Theo, fine. Suit yourself, you always do" He stormed out leaving a shocked Theo._

_Tristan smirked at her._

"_I knew you couldn't resist me" She moved closer to him and he inhaled deeply before he felt the stinging slap across his face. She stormed out as well, going in search of Rory._

The two girls got changed into sweatsuits and set themselves up on the chintz sofa in Theo's suite. Theo had put her _Dirty Dancing _DVD on, then they'd watch Havanna Nights.

"I've had the time of my life, and I owe it all to you" They sang as the film started before the started giggling. They watched the first few minutes before Rory turned to Theo. 

"Will you and Nate be ok?" Theo nodded.

"Yeah, he'll call tomorrow and apologise. He knows which side his bread is buttered" Rory giggled.

"I like it when you're drunk. You're like the old Theo" Theo was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"You know…you've changed since high school, your quiet, withdrawn, you're me except more society" Theo laughed softly.

"Don't be an idiot"

"I'm being honest!" Rory protested. "Don't worry I've changed too…mom and I have a falling out"

"What?" Theo exclaimed.

"Well…you know about Dean," Theo nodded, she had been the first Rory had confided in. "Well she thought it was morally the wrong decision. And she hates Logan, just hates him and now I'm thinking of dropping out and…"

The two best friends finally did their real catching up while the movie played in the background.

Back at the house on Babylon Drive the next week, Theo was swimming laps in the pool in the conservatory. Her sleek body cut silently through the water in her athletic black two-piece. The house was empty, her parents were in New York until the next morning. She surfaced at the end of the pool and screamed when she saw Tristan crouched there.

"How the hell did you get in?" She demanded.

"Come on Theo, I've always been an expert at getting into your house undetected" He replied with an evil smirk. She climbed out of the pool, feeling his eyes on her and reached quickly for a towel.

"Do you remember our night in this pool?" He ask quietly, almost seductively. She shuddered.

"I try not to" Was her cool response.

"Why are you resisting me?" He cried in frustration. She wheeled on him.

"Because, Tristan, everything you were is dead to me. You're the one who blamed me then ran away. Why on earth do you think that you can come back out of the blue with not a phone, not a letter in all this time, when I'm with someone else – your best friend to be exact – and get me back?" He stared at his feet and she pushed on. "Face the facts DuGrey, this isn't a teen movie where the two leads get back together to sell more tickets for the happy ending. You and were never friends, now whatever it is we were is gone, there's nothing left for us. Accept that, I have. You know the way out" And with that, she left.

**AN: **_For anybody not understanding Theo, the next chapter goes towards trying to understand her better_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **_You all know it, I own nothing, not even the computer I'm using to write this._

Katherine breathed the morning air in deeply and ran a hand through her newly short hair. She had decided that, at 42, it was time for the chop. She had always said that women over forty should cut off all their hair, otherwise it ends up looking a birds nest on mutton trying to look like lamb. Jackson hadn't liked it at first, but that was men for you, none of their fantasies involved women with short hair, it was all waist length blond curls and push-up bras. She smiled softly. Twigs snapped behind her and she turned to see Tristan jogging towards her. She smiled widely, she had always liked Tristan, well not always, she'd resented him being the first real boy in Theo's life but that was a mother thing. He was worth four of his father at the same age.

He slowed from his jog to a walk and fell into step beside her.

"Can't get out of the military school regime huh kid?" He laughed ad shrugged.

"It's good for me" Katherine nodded.

"I haven't seen you around much"

"Yeah well…that wasn't my decision" Katherine nodded again. "I've been meaning to tell you, I like your hair" He slowly lifted his hand to touch her bob and she blushed. He was sensual, that's what made him different to Cal. Cal was, always had been, blunt. But this boy, he had heart. He seemed to realise what he was doing and pulled his hand away.

"Thank you Tristan, how is your mother?"

"She's okay, pumping dad for money still"

"Good on her"

"Yes, I suppose so"

"And how is college going?"

"Well I'm working harder than I ever have"

"About time dear one" He laughed.

"Yes after all those study sessions that were trumped up movie nights with Theo" Katherine smiled. They were nearing the boundary of their properties and Katherine turned to him.

"Would you like to come in for coffee?" Tristan shrugged.

"Sure"

They reached the kitchen and Katherine switched the coffee pot on. They both knew the road the conversation was about to go down.

"So Nate and Theo have been together for a year" Tristan began, not able to contain himself any longer.

"Yes" Katherine replied, her attention on the coffee pot. "Jackson and I were surprised to say the least. More surprised that it's lasted this long"

"Why?"

"Oh come on Tristan, don't beat around the bush. You know as well as we do that nobody saw that coming. I mean a Gates with _our _daughter?" Katherine breathed a sigh of relief that Theo had chosen this morning for a belated catch-up breakfast at a local restaurant with Lisa before she flew back to England, she didn't need her walking in on this.

"But, we've accepted it…for now. She's changed, a lot of things about her have changed since…well for a while now"

"Since I left?" Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"Why would it be since you left?"

"It uh…It wasn't under the best circumstances" Katherine smiled ruefully.

"Ah yes, the infamous falling out she never spoke of, only hinted at. I'm not going to ask, I don't want to hate you. Maybe it was since you left, it's bee for a long time anyway." The pot was finished and she poured them each a cup and, like so many times before, Tristan's feet led him to the conservatory where they took their seats.

"I'm telling you this because you and Theo were once very close. And I get the feeling now that she has shut you out but I think you should know" Tristan nodded for her to go on. "I don't pretend to know what happened but sometime in senior year she started to change. She quietened down. "You remember what she used to be like. She'd run riot, play up, shock the society" Tristan smiled in remembrance of the balcony and her motorbike parked out the front of the dormitory. "She started studying more, all the time really, she was always locked in the library surrounded by books, not real books like she used to read, not literature, but sociology and politics. And most of all, she lived for society, she fell into it. Trips to the country club and parties, lunching with ladies. "She stopped riding her bike?" Tristans eyes widened in surprise.

"She doesn't ride Betty anymore" Katherine shook her head.

"Stella's been relegated to the garage for nearly two years. She just stopped riding her and then one morning announced she wanted a car. Jackson and I told her she could have one as a graduation present if she was in the top 10 of the class. Of course, she was, but by then she knew she was going to New York so she decided on a diamond pendent instead. She said a car would be impractical and that Nate had one anyway."

"So they were together by then?"

"They went to prom together. We thought it was as friends. She didn't tell us until they were away at college and she announced thy were moving in together." It was clear to Tristan by Katherine's tone of voice that she didn't approve.

"They live together?" Katherine nodded.

"She started off in college for a fortnight until they found an apartment"

"So she kept everyone in the dark?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well she didn't tell me, or Rory, or you guys that they were together"

"She didn't tell Rory?" Tristan shook his head. Katherine shook her head. "Well, there you go indeed. She didn't tell people a lot of things. She'd always had her heart set on Yale so Jackson and I just assumed. Then at the club one night Paris congratulated her on getting into Columbia. You could've knocked me over with a feather. _Columbia_? Since when did our baby want to go to Columbia? And to study sociology or international policy or whatever the hell it is she's studying. She'd always wanted fine arts! The next time we saw her after she left, she had a new wardrobe, suits and pencil skirts, society gowns, hats for god's sake. She always hated hats. I remember the struggle at the first garden party to get her into a chic little cloch and she wasn't having a bar" Tristan smiled sadly.

"You've changed...you've _both _changed" Katherine found herself saying, knowing her daughter would kill her if she could hear. Tristan sighed and made to get up but Katherine put her hand on his arm. "I know Theo, Tristan...she's an artist not a fucking politician or whatever she thinks she is now" Tristan tried to hide shock at Katherine's vulgarity. She smiled at his attempt. "...she's a romantic at heart...deep down she always wanted that love story. Oh sure she pretended that she just wanted sex or whatever it was you two had, she's never been as good at going against the tide as everybody likes to think. She wanted that love story where you were friends first and then grew to more"

"But that's the way it happened" He fet himself saying quietly and Katherine stared at him.

"Really? It was more than friendship or sex? To both of you? Come on Tristan, you guys were seventeen, she wanted love, endless summers, camping trips with all your friends. She wanted beauty and skinny dipping in the river" Tristan stared hard at the ground, furious at the pain in his throat.

"How do you know this?" He finally choked out and Katherine sighed.

"She's my daughter Tristan, she's so much like me it hurts sometimes" Tristan looked at the older woman with new eyes. And he could see it, they didn't look alike but they were the same.

"Then why has she turned into a Stepford Wife?"

"I think she got tired of feeling" Was the whispered response. "People do that" They stared at each other. Katherine could see Theo's girlish infatuation with this boy. He was the one every girl had thought they could tame. She wanted to hate him for hurting her but she couldn't.

**AN: **_Stay tuned for Chapter 7 which shows more of the relationship between Tristan and Theo, plus their newest showdown at 3am. _


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: _So I finally got a review which was awesome, to Lissa8, firstly my thanks and now, to answer your question. Theodora "Theo" Adams, is a society girl who started at Chilton in second term of junior year. In this story Chilton is the most exclusive co-ed boarding school on the East Coast. Before her parents moved back to Hartford to help her ailing grandfather with the business, she had never lived in America which is why she was an intoxicating trans-atlantic accent. Her mother, Katherine, isn't society. She and Theo's father met in a bar during college. Theo and Lisa were room-mates at Chilton and she and Rory soon became best friends being cloistered away. She lives in a house next-door to Tristan's which is how they became friends in the first place, as their father's had grown up together. _**

**Disclaimer: **_You know it, I own nothing. Sick to death of writing this, gonna start copying and pasting instead._

Tristan and Lisa sat in the library of his house. Lisa was engrossed in a trashy magazine at the desk with the tip of her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. It was a quirk she'd always had that Tristan had always thought was cute. He was sitting on the window seat staring out the window with the newspaper open on his lap.

"How did your breakfast go?"

"With Theo?" Lisa asked without looking up.

"Did you have breakfast with anyone else?" She smiled, licked the tip of her index finger and turned the page.

"It was good, it was nice to catch up. She's changed"

"Yes everyone says that"

"Shocker she's with Nate, didn't see that coming"

"Katherine said they went to prom together"

"Did they? I can't remember, prom was the night Wills and I broke up, all I remember is having red-rimmed eyes when they took final photos and the announcement of the king and queen"

"Who were the king and queen?"

"Nate and Theo of course…oh, that's right, they were together. They looked s perfect together, she wore the most awesome dress, this platinum thing that was…" She realised what she was saying. "I'm sorry, but do you really want me to walk on eggshells over the Theo thing while I'm here?"

"Of course not, I'm a big boy"

"Not that big" Lisa laughed, still not looking up. "Britney's in trouble with the authorities again"

"What?"

"Her baby cracked his skull. Serves her right for marrying such a skeaze" Tristan laughed as he watched a car pull up in Theo's driveway, it was Nate dropping her off.

"Lisa, I've gotta go do something. I'll be back. We'll go out tonight to _mISHKA_ it's a new club, sound okay?"

"Uh huh"

He picked his way across his yard as Nate's car pulled away and picked up the pace to meet Theo on the patio.

"Hey" She turned and rolled her eyes when she saw him. She opened the door and moved inside. "Can I come in?" Taking that she didn't close the door on his face for a yes, he slipped inside.

"You really haven't gotten any less arrogant have you?" He grinned. "I'm going to get changed" She announced. She was wearing a pencil ski with a short-sleeved shirt and miniature waist-coat and pumps. He followed her up the stairs and into her room.

"Why do you hate me?" He asked as the entered.

"I'm really not up for this Tristan" He didn't respond as she gathered up some clothes and moved into her bathroom. He looks around her room. It hadn't changed much, still understated and simple, the black bedspread and red sheets had gone, replaced by all white. He noticed photos on the mirror of her dressing table. He moved closer to see them. One was of the old gang, Rory, Paris and Jess, Louise and Harry, Madeline and Nate, Wills and Lisa and he and Theo at the start-of-year Senior's dance.

They were on the dance-floor, neither realised that all eyes were on them as they danced. In the background Papa Roach's Scars was playing but all that was in Tristan's mind was how well her body fit against his. He wondered if it always was as he resisted the urge to bury his head against her neck in front of everyone. 

He sighed when he saw the other photo. It was a candid shot of she and Nate standing out the front of an apartment block in New York pointing to the pent-house apartment. She was laughing and he had his arms around her. He was gazing at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Tristan frowned and ran his fingers across the top of the table until they got tangled in a chain. He lifted it up, it was a fine silver chain and from dangled a ring, his ring, his class ring. Oh God, the memories came flooding back. He turned and saw Theo standing behind him in her sweats.

_He made his way with determined feet to her door. He was wearing jeans and a hooded sweater with the hood up. He knocked sharply, she took a while to answer the door but when she did she looked awful. Good, she should, she should look the way he felt. She didn't say anything, he didn't go in. He pushed the hood back._

"_I'm leaving" She remained silent. His eyes were still glazed over, still cold and hurtful. "My dad's finally followed through on his pact to ship me off…" Finally she spoke,_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Military school…in Arizona…now"_

"_Why are you telling me this?"_

"_I wanted to give you something" He reached for her hand and slipped something into it, his class ring._

"_What for?" Because he loved her? Because he didn't want to go?_

"_So that you can look and it and know that this is your fault" He turned and walked away._

"_Fuck you DuGrey" She called to his back before slamming the door closed on the empty hallway._

They stared at each for who knows how long before he spoke.

"Why did you keep this? Why didn't you throw it at me?" She didn't say anything, just looked at him with her big doe-eyes and he felt his stomach turn over.

"I am so sorry. I'm sorry for everything up until this point" He hurried on. She was only aware of those lips, of his beautiful lips forming the words. All she could hear was that crashing sound of the ocean that you can hear when you put a shell to your ear. Rushes and breaks. She stayed silent, surveying him while he put the necklace back on the dressing table.

"I kept it because it was yours" Her voice was almost bodiless, small and wavering. He turned and watched her. His heart leapt, she looked so lost.

"I kept it because…because…it was…"

"What?" Suddenly she seemed to snap, fury bubbled up in her.

"You bastard!" She reached next to her for a mug and hurled it at him. He ducked and it missed him, hitting the wall behind. In an instant she was a wreck, screaming and crying. Her rant was indecipherable and in a few steps he had crossed the room and was holding her against him.

Tristan rolled in his fitful sleep. The urgent ringing of the telephone became clearer and he glanced at the clock. It was 3am, Lisa and he had only gotten back from _mISHKA_ an hour before.

"Hello?" His voice was sleepy and husky and met with silence. "Hello?" He repeated. "Theo?"

"There are tings I have to say to you" He sighed and sat up.

"So say them"

"No, first there's things I need to know"

"Where is this all going?"

"I'm outside, come let me in"

"What?" With that she hung up the phone. He stumbled out of bed, stopping to pull on jeans and grab a shirt. He walked to the glass door and sure enough there she was. He unlocked it and stood back to let her in.

"Do you want something to drink?" She nodded and was handed a beer.

"I want you to tell me again why what happened, happened"

"What are you talking about?"

"Tell me again that you wanted to fuck a smart girl who was stupid enough to go along with it"

"Jesus Theo"

"Say it" When he looked into her eyes they were cold, he'd seen them before somewhere.

"I don't want to get into-"

"I thought I knew you. I thought we knew each other. I don't kid myself that we were Romeo and fucking Juliet Tristan, but I thought you let me in and then you look at me with _those _eyes and tell me…" Suddenly he realised where he'd seen her eyes before, they were his "…that you were just using me"

"Well what the fuck was I supposed to say? You fucked me off because I once tried to date your friend!" Theo stood up abruptly, suddenly thinking perhaps this hadn't been a great idea.

"I think I'm just going to leave" She said sedately.

"No you're not!" With that he grabbed her arms and forced her down into the seat. Suddenly fearful she looked up at him. "You show up here at 3am and start this crap! You're going to have to see it through!"

"Why did you give me that ring? Why was it my fault that you had to go to military school?"

"I'm not answering stupid questions, how about you? How could you get under my skin and then just end it?" She was in tears now.

"I didn't want to!"  
"Well you fucking did Theo. I trusted you! I trusted you! The only other person I ever trusted was Nate! How ironic huh? And even then I didn't tell him the things I told you. Do you think I would have spoken to you like that if I didn't…didn't.."

"Didn't what? Want to fuck me!" She screamed hysterically.

"If I didn't want you to know everything about me and still like me!" He finished, his voice tight. Theo visibly wilted.

"I have to go" Instead of saying anything he grabbed her wrist, tightly. "Let me go I have to leave" his grip just tightened and she started twisting her arm out of his grip. "I'll scream" She threatened but he silenced any scream with his lips, crushing them against hers. At first she struggled but then let herself be consumed by his mouth. His hands were roaming all over her back, pulling her tight into him. Turning them around he pushed her against the wall, pushing his knee between her legs. Her hands tangled in his hair and his lips moved to her neck. She forced him back and he started to talk, started to apologise, he didn't know what had come over him. She looked at him with frightened eyes.

"Oh God Tris, I'm sorry. Please don't tell Nate, this would kill him. I don't know what I was thinking"

"Shh, it's okay, I'm sorry too" He tried to hold h but she pulled away and let herself out, jogging back towards her house.

**AN: _Stay tuned for Ch. 8 where you see more of Theo and of Nate's personality and they way he is in the relationship._**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: A huge thankyou to Sparxx27 for your review. In anaswer to the whole Logan thing. The entire story is already finished, but just for your review I'll rewrite it to put more Logan in. I hope everybody keeps reading. It's starting to come together a lot more now!**

**Disclaimer:**_You guys know it, you guys experience it. I own nothing, although the characters of the children are based on real kids I met during my High School Community Service program, and the ball was something our school really did hold of course it was n't as fancy or anything but hey, I own nothing._

Theo stood in the centre of the ballroom at the Hartford country club with a clipboard. She was wearing her glasses and calling out orders to the trades-people. Her mind kept flipping back to the night before, in his room. She had cried for almost an hour that afternoon while he held her before recovering herself and asking him to leave. He hadn't wanted to but he had anyway, that was what counted. But then to arrive at his door, near hysterical in the middle of the night and to let him kiss her…She was furious with herself for her lack of self-control. He kept getting under her damn skin.

"Ms. Adams…where do you want the candelabra's for now?" An assistant was asking. They were four-foot-high cast-iron works of art, ivy entwined up the stems with church candles atop.

"Just on the bar for now Maggie, thank you"

"There's my little party planner" Nate said as he crossed to where she stood.

"Hey you" She greeted him with a kiss. She was organising a charity ball for that evening, her grandmother and her friends at the DAR had granted her authority when she proposed the idea. It was for a fund for sick children that she had donated to since she was a little girl and was very close to her heart.

"How goes it"  
"It'll be beautiful"

"Of course it will if you're the one in charge" She giggled

"Oh you!" She cooed, patting him on the shoulder.

"When will you finish up?"

"In about two hours"

"I'll come back then and get you"

"Ok, love you"

"I love you" He kissed her and wandered off to meet his parents for a late lunch.

That night, even Theo gasped as she peaked through the curtains at the entrance to the room. It was so beautiful. The invitations had gone out with a dress code of masquerade, a giant grown-up dress-up party. Theo herself had chosen a gown in the softest of pinks it shimmered so that it was almost metallic. It had a plunging v-neck that reached almost to her navel but laced up to conceal modesty. It fell in full folds to the floor, covering her feet and leaving a small train. To her back were fixed giant filmy pale pink butterfly wings which soared above her shoulder and swooped almost to the floor. Her hairdresser had affixed tiny pinky antennae to her blonde spirals and she had donned a silver masque.

She and Nate had stopped at the local children's hospital before coming here where the children had loved her outfit. Lizzie was a 14-year-old girl with leukemia. She had bee diagnosed when she was seven and had dealt with the first two bouts beautifully. She had been in remission for three years when she received the devastating news that it was back. She had struggled with the news. At first it was just to be accepted but now she knew better. She knew that she should be at school with her friends, gossiping and applying too much lip-gloss for it to be functional. Writing long entries in her journal about the guy she thought would never like her but in reality, would always remember her as the girl he should have taken aside and begged for a date. Theo had met her the year before when she was in the day clinic for a check-up and had been keeping a check on her progress. She was angry and frustrated, exactly what you would expect. But when Theo had appeared that night she had brightened, even breaking into a smile.

"Take pictures won't you?" She'd asked. Theo had smiled.

"Of course I will"

"You look beautiful…"

"You do too" Lizzie had blushed and run a hand self-consciously over the bandanna on her head.

"Michael's coming to see me" Michael was the guy, the guy every girl has in high school. Theo had winked.

She squeezed Nate's hand, she had gotten him into a pink waist-coat, a mask of course and yes, even a tiny pair of antennae on the proviso that most people would be dressed up. The doorman would announce their entrance.

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the Hartford _All the Children_ Masquerade Ball" A round of applause went up. "And now may I announce the woman who made it all possible…Ms. Theodora Adams accompanied by Mr. Nathaniel Gates" The applause went wild as the curtain opened. The crowd quietened when they saw Theo before bursting into another round of applause.

"You look amazing" Rory whispered to Theo who blushed.

"She's right" Tristan added.

"Hell if you were a red head" Finn began but the others shouted him down. They were seated getting ready for the speech that Theo would give before dinner. Nate gazed at her with pride but that darkened when he saw the way Tristan was looking at her.

_It's jut the way you look,_

_And the way you walk,_

_It's the way you touch me,_

_And the way you say nothing at all_

The MC was calling for silence.

"I've got to go," She whispered and kissed him on the cheek. The MC announced her and she took the podium.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," She took a deep breath and looked out over the sea of masked faces glistening before her; she could see her parents, and her grandparents, her friends. She smiled before continuing. "We sit here tonight, comfortable with out surroundings, with our company," the crowd was nodding in agreeance. "We are privileged people, in many ways, more than even we would suspect. And tonight we are generous people, giving freely to a deserving charity. It's true this isn't a one-off event; we often see each other at events very similar to this. Yet I can't help but wonder at our motivations at times." She could see the ripple run through the crowd. "How many here can name the charity we are giving to tonight? How many are here for that charity and not to be catch-up, or be seen?" She swallowed hard and hoped she wasn't losing them. "I don't wish to be misunderstood, to be seen to be preaching or reprimanding. I am pointing out a fault common to every person in the world, the seed of the _not in my backyard _thought. After all, a sick child is one thing, a sick child in our own family another entirely. A sick child though, should simply be a sick child, equal in all eyes. In the children at Mercy Hospital here in Hartford, I see more bravery and cheerfulness than in any other place. They are the most worldly, beautiful people I have ever met. Beautiful mostly because they are tragic, transient with their illnesses. There's Mackie, he is four-years-old and he was infected with meningococcal in the break-out earlier this year, he lost his left-leg before they could cure him and now he's learning to walk again with a prosthetic limb. He had barely learnt before it was taken from him. He prefers to get around though, on an oversized Tonka truck that he pushes along with his good leg." Sad smiles lit up the room. "There's Keely, she's six months old. A month ago her mother noticed a series of bruises down her spine; she's been diagnosed with a deadly form of Leukemia which doctor's aren't hopeful of curing. She's in almost constant pain but she loves the baby mini-mouse doll her cousin bought her at Disney Land. There's Curtis, he's fifteen, he was in a car accident that his family walked free from, he spent three weeks in a coma and woke up to find out that is a paraplegic. He spent months in a deep depression that doctors are bringing him out of. And then there's Lizzie." By now Theo was getting teary. "Lizzie is a beautiful 14-year-old girl who is madly in love with a blonde boy at her school named Michael. She wears too much lip-gloss and won't eat anything yellow. She's terribly self-conscious about losing her hair and wears either a purple bandana or a red wig because she always wanted red hair but her mother wouldn't let her dye it. Tonight she's having her first date with Michael in the hospital cafeteria before she goes in for another bout of chemotherapy." She took a breath to compose herself while the audience held their, riveted by the passion in her voice.

"Why am I telling you these kids' stories? Because they're our stories, they're stories of a society wider than our cloistered little numbers, a society that we need to be so much more aware of before we can truly help it. These children need our money, yes, but they also need our _whole _recognition and compassion, not just an impersonal cheque as wonderful as that may be for understaffed hospitals. I don't want to be a martyr or an evangelist to you. I want simply to pass onto you something that I have learnt…with our privileges which none here can deny, comes a responsibility that none here can deny. I would like to think that this evening is our first tentative step to fulfilling this responsibility more fully" She looked out at the crowd and smiled gently. It took a moment before the applause started slowly. _Oh God, Oh God they hate me, I've criticised them and they hate me. _But soon enough the clapping sped up, the table of her friends took to their feet and soon others followed until she had her own standing ovation. As she made her way down from the stage she looked behind her and realised that being projected onto the curtains were photographs of the children she and Nate had visited with that night.

"Oh my God where did they come from?"

"Logan and Rory took them today while you were here" Her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh my God guys! That's so perfect. Thank you!" She hugged Rory first.

"Logan's the artist" Rory whispered. Theo was slightly surprised. She had been hearing about Logan ever since he and Rory had met and Rory had hated him. He had sounded a little like Tristan, and this wasn't the sort of thing they did. She turned to him.

"So I have you to thank?" He didn't say anything but he hugged her back gently so as not to crush her wings. Over her shoulder he locked eyes with Rory and smiled at her.

All night people approached Theo, asking more questions about the children, if they could write to them, donate some more money, perhaps visit the families. She was shocked; she hadn't expected to have that effect.

"Look at you, you're changing lives" Tristan whispered to her.

"The children's families will be thrilled" Tristan laughed.

"I was talking about the Hartford elite. Mrs. Winter's who just offered to visit Lily and organise for a hair-dresser to have a red wig specially made is a selfish old crow, always has been. You've brought out the best in them" Theo's eyes shone and Rory squeezed her hand. Nate materialised next to her.

"Dance Princess?" She nodded and they floated to the floor. He held her close; he didn't know how he found her, so perfect. How had he never seen it before senior year? Over her shoulder he saw Tristan, or, more to the point, Tristan's eyes, following Theo wherever she went. Nate should've known he wouldn't give her up; Tristan never gave up on something he wanted.

"Theo" He whispered.

"Mmm?" Her head was laid on his left shoulder.

"I don't want you to talk to Tristan"

"What?"

"You heard me" She raised her head.

"Nate we've been through this, there's nothing going on"

"Well I know that and you do, but he doesn't seem to get the picture" Rory and Logan were dancing near-by and Rory could see something was wrong.

"Don't do this Nate, not tonight, everything is so perfect"

"I'm not doing anything. I'm just asking the girl I love not to talk to the man who could tear us apart"

"Oh Nate, he's not going to" By this stage they were leaving the dance floor and were standing at the table arguing quietly.

"He's after you"

"Maybe but he's not going to get me. Tristan is not a problem"

"Oh don't give me that" Tristan overheard and couldn't help but intervene.

"Come on Nate, you don't really think I'm a threat do you old man?"

"Stay out of this DuGrey" Nate snarled and Theo backed away from him.

"Man calm down, I'm here with a date I'm not gonna steal yours"

"Lisa doesn't count as a date" Lisa looked affronted "No offence Lisa" She waved hands in compliance.

"Oh don't worry Nate"

"Theo we're leaving" Theo wavered.

"You don't have to go with him Theo, you never would have" She felt torn when Rory and Logan arrived, the others were watching, impassive.

"I said, stay the fuck out of this DuGrey"

"Nate, come on, this is Theo's night" Logan put in as Rory did her best to drag Tristan away. Nate shrugged like a petulant child and Louise and Lisa put their two cents in.

"Come on Nate, it's been so beautiful, Theo did such an amazing job, don't let this be what she remembers" Louise said.

"Yes Nate, come on, sit down, have a drink, make-up, this is both your night, your photos were beautiful" This seemed to placate him and he nodded. Theo moved closer to him.

"I'm sorry baby; I don't know what came over me. I was being such an ass. I don't mean to be so controlling"

"It's alright Nate"

"I love you" he whispered as he kissed her hair.

"I love you too" The group smiled as they took their seats again.

Tristan and Rory looked on from a safe distance. Tristan's blood was boiling.

"He treats her like crap"

"Nate's always been hot-blooded when it comes to girls" Rory pointed out. "You're just noticing more because it's Theo"

"Theo never used to need protecting. When we were younger she would have told him to fuck off"

"This is true," Rory observed, "but she's changed Tris, and you're going to have to accept that and move on" Tristan nodded, wondering how many more times he'd have to hear that before it happened.

Rory was quiet as she and Logan were driven home in a cab.

"Are you sure you don't want to just go home?" He asked her. She had decided to stay at his apartment.

"Yes"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes"

"No you're not" She shrugged like a petulant child. "It's just Theo…I told Tristan tonight that he had to accept she'd changed and move on. I'm a hypocrite, I can't even do that"

"Why not? People change Ace"

"Yes but not Theo, and it's not usually my fault"

"Your fault?" He stared at her incredulously but she wouldn't meet his gaze as a blush raged across her cheeks.

"I was the one who forced Theo to break up with the only guy she'd ever loved" Logan laughed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Tristan"  
"Tristan?" Logan had known Tristan for a few years. He'd been surprised when he found out that Ace had known him as well. It wasn't until she'd been invited to the party at his house that Logan realized they'd gone to school together. And it wasn't until he'd seen Tristan drag her into away from the party that he'd realized there was history there. Rory was embarrassed; she didn't really want to go into this with him.

"There was a…a thing with Tris and I in high school. I guess I thought…even though I was with Dean then…I thought that…you know that maybe, somehow it would work out and that I was the girl he'd fall in love with. And then Theo came along and they were together and they didn't tell anyone and then Louise came up and she was like 'Oh yeah, major coupledom for them' and I was like 'I have to go' and then I went to see Theo and I told her that I wouldn't be friends with her anymore and she didn't know what I was talking about and then all these rumors started and she told me she'd broken up with him and then she locked herself in her room and she wouldn't let any of us in and then…" She was gasping for breath and hysterical as Logan reached for her frantically waving arms and the cab driver glanced in the rear-view.

"Babe, babe take a breath"

_Lisa was worried._

"_She just lies on her bed and stares at the roof. She goes to class then goes back to the dorm. She doesn't eat, she doesn't even drink coffee anymore" The girls were all sitting around in the common room._

"_What's wrong with the girl?" Paris was demanding and Rory stared hard at the floor, trying to ignore the feeling that everyone was looking at her with accusing eyes._

"_I suppose it's because Tristan dumped her" Louise said with authority._

"_Where the hell did you hear that?" Rory snapped and Louise looked up at her, shocked. Rory sat back, embarrassed now._

"_Nathan and Wills were talking about it…I just…"  
"Well you're wrong okay, Theo broke it off" With that Rory stood up and made her way again to Theo's room. She had been there so many times in the past few days but Theo wouldn't talk to anyone. _

_That all changed soon enough though._

_The next night the girls were watching Simpson's re-runs in the common room when Theo walked in, a bright smile on her face._

"_Hey guys" She greeted them with a breezy voice as she set about making herself a coffee. "Man, do I feel better; I have had the worst stomach bug for the past week". Rory, of course, knew she was lying. The next morning the gossip around school was Tristan's mysterious disappearance, nobody knew the cause._

"So you see it's my fault. She changed as soon as he left. Started going to parties, seeing heaps of guys, spending time with the society girls. I'm a horrible person, I ruined everything for her because I was so selfish" Logan had a weird smile on his face. "And the worst thing is that I realized later that I didn't even like Tristan like that, just the idea…what? What are you smiling at" His smile grew and he put his arm around her as they drove through the silent night streets.

"You…you're a funny old thing Ace. It's not your fault. It's stupid adolescent crap. Theo and Tristan will sort it all out. She's with someone else now, she's happy. She's changed, people do that and you're going to have to accept that and move on" Rory nodded and let him kiss her, wondering how many times people would have to say that before it stopped sounding hollow.

**AN: Please Review, please? Please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: _We'll we're rounding some sort of corner here. With this chapter we're passing the half-way mark. I feel as though the story is finally knitting itself together._**

**Disclaimer: **_I own Theo, Nate, some of the friends they invite and their parents. That's it, that's all I have…and my name of course. _

The people Nate and Theo had invited for dinner were finally gathered around the table. They were at a local Chinese restaurant called _Coconut Palms_ which they used to eat at on weekends home from Chilton. Theo ticked them off in her head; Rory and Logan, Louise and Rupert, Lisa, Tristan, Paris, Harry and Wills. They had ordered the banquet which was about to be brought out. It had been a fortnight since the very nearly disastrous charity ball. Lizzie's date with Michael had gone perfectly and she'd had her first kiss under the fluorescent hospital lights. Mrs. Winters had organised for a hairdresser to the stars to make Lily and brand new red wig and she was beside herself. The night had been a success 100 times over. She hoped tonight would be too. Nate squeezed her hand before he began.

"Well, we've managed to successfully organise our first evening out all together since he start of senior year. And for a very good reason, we wanted you to be the first to know outside our family's, after all, you guys have been more like family to us than our families at times." Rory's eyes widened and butterflies swarmed in her stomach as she took in Theo's coy smile. Nate pushed on. "Last night I proposed to Theo, and she said yes" A collective gasp ran around the table before the girls started squealing, causing an uproar in the restaurant. Louise grabbed for her hand where a huge 3ct. Princess cut diamond sat in a simple platinum setting.

"Oh my God, now that is a ring!"

Nate pulled out her chair for her at he best table Saffron had to offer, it was the premier restaurant in Hartford. They had had their dinner and danced, now it was time.

"_Theo, you know I love you right?" She laughed._

"_What sort of a question is that? Of course I know idiot"_

"_Right, very eloquent" She laughed again and so did he, before he slipped off his chair and on to one knee as The Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" started playing._

"_Oh my God Nate"_

"_Shhh…Theodora Katerina Adams…will you marry me?" The other diners had turned to look as well as the staff who had known about this. He produced a scarlet leather box and opened to reveal the biggest solitaire diamond she'd ever seen. Tears came to her eyes and she didn't know where they were from. She threw her arms around his neck._

"_Oh my God! Of course I will! Yes!" He stood up, picking her up cavalier style and spinning her around as the other diners and the staff burst into applause. A waitress arrived with a giant cake declaring 'CONGRATULATIONS NATE & THEO' which they shared with the other diners as she slipped her ring on._

"What was the proposal like?" Rory asked excitedly, knowing though that as it was Nate it would have been classic and romantic.

"Oh it was beautiful, I'll tell you all about…" Louise jumped in then.

"You know it's funny, when we were younger you always said you'd only marry someone who gave you a pearl and diamond engagement ring" Theo's smile dropped.

"Well Nate gave me pearls for our anniversary" She replied somewhat snappishly.

"Well that was tactless" Lisa hissed to her. Paris was more brusque.

"Coming from you Louise, who promised, when she was twelve, that she wouldn't have sex with anybody until thy serenaded her with _Slide _without having to be asked" Louise laughed.

"Well that song was playing when I first had sex"

"Uh huh"

Rory kept her eyes trained on Theo all night. Some might call her crazy, but Theo wasn't anywhere near her idea of a blushing, deliriously happy bride-to-be.

The dinner was a wonderful success and Nate drove Theo home. He was leaving for New York at five a.m. to interview for an internship in the fall. She was sitting in her arm chair, still in summer dress from that night, staring into space when she heard a familiar tap on the door of her balcony. As if in a trance she crossed to it and opened the door. Tristan stood on the balcony with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. There was an old ladder attached to the side of the house to lead to the widows walk that ran by her room, but how the hell he made it up that with a bottle and two glasses she didn't know.

"How did you know I'd be here? It's my engagement night"

"You're hear aren't you?"

"You don't give up do you?" He brandished the two glasses with a cheeky smile. She lets him in with a smile and they sit on the armchairs in her suite while he pours them a glass each.

"Are you happy?" He asks.

"Yes" He takes a deep breath, ready to accept things.

"Well then, to you Ms. Adams, the changer of lives"

"To you Mr. DuGrey, a surprising constant in my life" He raised and eyebrow.

"To us then, to all of us, the hope of a generation" They clinked their glasses.

They proceeded to get riotously drunk on the ridiculously expensive champagne, talking about old times, telling tall stories that maybe never happened, and certainly didn't the way they were telling them. Katherine heard the commotion when she was on her way to bed. She assumed it was Nate. She had cried all night when Theo had told them. She knocked on the door but there was no response. Slowly she opened it and peeked in. She was greeted by the sight of Theo and Tristan, still dressed in best, drunk as lords on the armchairs.

"Wow, this is just like old times" She commented as she walked in. They had been laughing but stopped when se walked in, they shot her guilty looks. She raised her arms in self-defense.

"Hey, you're both almost legal, I don't care" They laughed again but Theo was calming down. She checked her watch.

"Oh it's getting late, we should call it a night" Tristan nodded.

"I'll see you soon"  
"Okay" He left with Katherine.

Katherine made her way to she and Jackson's bedroom. He was asleep but he woke up when she climbed in.

"How's our bride to be?"

"Oh Jackson"

"Come on Katherine, we had this last night"

"I know but they are so wrong together. Is it wrong for me to wish he'd do something to break her heart and finish all this?"  
"Probably, but I understand" He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his chest. "She's a big girl now Katherine, and she's always been independent. That suited us fine until she made a choice we weren't so fond of. But you can't choose your child's life"

"I know, I know. I just hate this"

"Shhh"

Rory sat on the couch in her grandparent's parlor next to Logan. Emily was lapping up details of Theo and Nate's engagement.

"I've always like Nathan" She was saying. Richard however was preoccupied with his evening paper.

"Now I suppose we're just waiting for the announcement from you two" Emily rabbited on. Rory inwardly cringed. Her grandparent's didn't seem to understand that she and Logan weren't like that. Logan squeezed her knee.

"Well you never know Mrs. Gilmore" Emily beemed while Rory stared at him in shock.

"What did you mean by that?" She asked later, when they were alone on the balcony. Logan laughed.

"Have to keep the grand-parentals happy" He told her.

"But you didn't mean anything by it?" She asked, trying to keep her voice commanding rather than hopeful. No, they just weren't like that. He shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe one day we will get married and have a million children" Rory looked at him in shock and he laughed, slipping his arm around her shoulder. "Come on Ace, you know me, I'm not like that, we're not like that…you didn't think I was serious did you?" She blushed furiously and was glad it was dark.

"No, of course not, we're not like that"

"Good" He replied as he turned to face her, slipping his arms around her waist underneath the light jacket she was wearing and pulling her towards him. He kissed her neck gently and she shivered, slipping her arms around his neck.

They stumbled into her bedroom, trying to be quiet so no-one in the house came to investigate. Rory closed the door and turned in Logan's arms. He smirked at her and she blushed again as his hands found the hem of her skirt, sliding underneath it. She moaned. He trailed soft kisses up her neck until finally he crushed his lips against hers, pushing her back until her back hit the door. She moaned when his hands moved up inside her skirt, trailing softly across the soft flesh of her thighs.

"You're on fire" He whispered against her lips. She blushed and pulled him closer.

"We're so much better like this Ace" He whispered huskily and she blushed again.

**AN: _There we go, hope you like it. I'm trying to put a lot more Rory in the story. Stay tuned for Chapter 10 and the real Engagement Party! Oh, and review! Please?_**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: _To those who seem to think that Tristan is inconsistent, it's not that. He is simply in the process of trying to accept the changes to his life since high school, like all the old gang. We all know what it's like to find out that someone you once went out with and who you thought would always carry a torch for you, is happier with someone else. You try to accept it, and for a little while you can, but then something can happen to really tick you off about the whole damn predicament. Anyway, at least people are reading it!_**

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own the _Gilmore Girls_, duh._

Rory woke up in Logan's arms. She loved the feeling of them pressed together in bed, when it was hard to know where one ended and the other began. She loved the feeling of his arms around her, holding her, protecting her. She loved him, she smiled with her secret. She had known for months now, the realization coming to her like a break in the rain clouds where light streams through. She hadn't told him, at least, not in words. He knew though, everyone knew. It was so obvious. The way she looked at him, spoke to him, spoke about him. It was obvious. Yet she wasn't scared, not by being in love. She was scared about being in love with _him. _He was awake too now and he kissed her shoulder blade.

"Good morning beautiful" She smiled a sat up, pulling her sheet with her. She turned to him.

He stared at her huge doe eyes, how could she be so beautiful? She was smiling strangely, her eyes were almost narcoticised. It was as though he was hearing her from far away when she started to speak.

"Logan…I love you" His heart started to beat like a freight train and the panic and euphoria crashed over him like a wave. She was still staring at him. He was so confused. He was over the moon that this girl felt this way, but what did she want _him _to say. Well, that was obvious but even if he wanted to say the words, his throat would close over.

"Oh Ace" She tried to stop it but her eyes narrowed.

"Oh Ace?" He tried to brush hair out of her eyes but she batted his hand away, drawing the sheet tighter around herself. He grinned sheepishly.

"You're a great girl and…well, you know I like you" She huffed. "But I'm just, I'm not ready to respond to that. And I don't want to say three words that mean so much when I…"

"When you don't mean them?" She asked softly. Her voice wistful and her momentary anger deflated. She could imagine him shrugging his agreement. She leant forwards and kissed him chastely on the lips.

"That's fine, we've been together this long and that's damaged my dignity enough, I can wait" He laughed and tackled her to the mattress.

Theo snapped awake, her eyes open, she was panting and sweating. She'd had the dream again. She could never remember it except for the sheer terror and the feeling as though she was going to die before the jerked awake. She'd been having it for a while now. Slowly she ached for the remote and switched the TV on, Letterman was on, and she'd be able to sleep again with that on. She rested back on the pillows and slowly twisted her engagement ring around her finger.

"I had that nightmare again," She told Rory as she zipped up her best friend's dress. Nate's father had just been announced the new president of the Country Club and they were going to the gala dinner. Rory was wearing a sheath dress, black with a shimmer through it. Theo had chosen a royal blue fitted gown which cupped her breasts and had thousands of tiny beads hand-sewn into it and a transparent train attached to the back, halfway down her spine. She had swept her hair up into a French twist with a few whisps framing her face. Rory had left her hair out and fell prettily to her shoulders.

"Did you remember what happened in it this time?" Theo shook her head.

"No, just the terror"

"Poor baby"

"Don't patronise me"

"Shut up, I'm not patronising you!" The girls giggled while Katherine called up to say they were leaving.

They arrived at the function early so that Theo could help Nate and his parents greet the guests.

"Congratulations Henry" Theo greeted him. He kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, you darling girl" She smiled and hugged Nate's mother Claire before kissing Nate who held her hand. An hour later all the guests had been greeted and speeches were halfway through. Nate and Theo were sitting with his parents. Tristan was across the room with Lisa who waved and smiled at Theo. Theo smiled and waved back. Nate looked at her closely.

"Don't worry darling," She whispered, "it's only Lisa" He glowered for a moment before thinking better of it.

"I love you" She just smiled and he kissed her hair while Tristan tried to ignore his nausea.

They stood at the bar with old crowd. It was a full house; most of Hartford had turned out for this. Theo was standing to the side when suddenly she went sheet white and started shaking. Lisa was the first to notice.

"Honey? Are you okay?" A second later Theo fainted. Logan was the first to rush to her; he knelt on the ground, cradling her heap in his arms.

"Theo?" He held her hand and tapped it gently. "Theo wake-up" Nate and Rory rushed to her side.

"Sweetheart! Oh my God what's wrong?" She was soon surrounded.

"Come on everyone, give her some air" Tristan was commanding, getting the group to move back, trying to swallow his panic.

She was coming around, when she opened her eyes she saw double of everything and it was blurry. She was in Logan's arm.

"God she's feather-light," He was saying.

"She's lost a lot of weight this summer" Tristan was saying.

"No she hasn't" Nate countered.

"Whatever Nate" Logan saw that she was waking up.

"Shhh hon, we're going to sit you up" He placed her in a high-backed chair. "Are you okay gorgeous? We'll get you some water" Tristan handed her a cup.

"You know I am her _fiancé_" Nate reminded him.

"Not the time Nate" Lisa admonished and he smarted.

"I'm sorry," She was saying to Nate, "I've ruined your night" He laughed at her.

"Don't be ridiculous honey, are you feeling better?" She nodded.

"I don't know what happened"

"I think you should go home," Logan suggested. She shook her head weakly.

"No"

"Yes" Was the firm reply from Logan, Nate and Tristan.

"I'll take you"

"Oh Nate you can't leave your father's party"

"She's right old man, I'll take her" Nate was far from happy with Tristan's suggestion but he knew he couldn't leave. He had to keep up appearances.

"Okay…thank you Tristan"

Katherine and Jackson were nowhere to be found but Henry and Claire saw she and Tristan off at the door.

"I'm sorry you were ill darling," Claire said. Theo smiled.

"Not as much as I am Claire" Tristan led her away.

Rory looked at Logan in wonderment as Tristan helped Theo to the car.

"Well look at you, the hero of the evening, catching swooning ladies" He laughed.

"I'll catch you" And before she had the time to run away he slipped one hand under her knees and the other around her frail back, picking her up and spinning her around. She laughed and squealed before he set her down and kissed her.

Tristan helped Theo into the car and they headed off. She was silent, withdrawn in the car.

"You're not pregnant are you?" He asked quietly. He was a male, it was the first thing that popped into his head when a girl was sick, well that, or that they had their period, and he'd never known a girl to pass out because of a period.

"Oh God I hope not"

"Why? Wouldn't that complete your perfect little life?" He barely concealed the tinge of bitterness in his voice. She snorted and pointed to the dark re-growth her hair-do hid.

"It's all fake Tris…well…the diamond's real I guess"

"I'm worried about you," He said quietly, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Oh fuck off" He looked over at her and they both grinned. The next time he looked over at her she was staring out the car window and twisting the ring around her finger.

When they got back to her place he helped her to her room, she was still weak.

"I'm sorry you had to miss the party," He laughed.

"Oh yeah, I was having a real blast there" She laughed as well and he sat her down on the corner of her bed. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you. I don't know what came over me"

"A panic attack?"

"What?"

"Well, things have been moving very quickly for you" She scoffed at him but before she could say anything Katherine burst through the door.

"Honey! What happened?" Tristan was swept aside and quietly filled Jackson in before taking his leave.

**AN: _Mwa ha ha, "what do you do when it all falls apart?" Answer: Review!_**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: _I'm updating as quickly as possible. Like I said earlier, the story is already written, and any changes now are just those requested by readers. _**

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything – although I just bought a mobile on E-Bay – especially not the _Gilmore Girls.

The banner is silver and black read _Nathaniel & Theodora, together forever_. Theo smiled coolly when she saw it. It was her engagement party; gifts wrapped in silver and black paper were piled on a table near the door. Henry and Claire had organised the entire thing, all Theo had had to do was show up in her black and silver brocade dress that clung to her in all the right places with Nate on her arm. They entered together and the guests took to their feet to welcome them. They were at _Saffron _again, where he had proposed to her. He smiled as he put her arm around her. They had dinner at their parents' table. Both their grandparents' were there as well. Henry and Claire were full of life, as they planned not just Theo and Nate's wedding, but their life together for the benefit of everyone at the table, which included the Huntzberger's, Cal DuGrey with his latest girlfriend and a local reporter covering the affair.

"Of course they both have two years left at college, so we'll get them married by the end of their final year. By that stage Nate will be ready to take over the European side of the business," Henry was loudly telling the reporter and Mitchum and Shira. Katherine raised her eyebrow and butted in,

"Excuse me Henry, but married so soon?" Henry turned, annoyed at being interrupted but trying not to show it.

"Well of course darling," Katherine cringed, she hated his habit of calling anything in a skirt _darling_. "Why have a long engagement when the outcome's the same? Anyway, as I was saying, they'll move to Europe and Theo can play around with her politics, I should be able to get her some role in the UN over there and then they'll be able to start having children" Katherine choked out her wine.

"Have you got the names picked out already?" She asked sweetly and Cal Du Grey laughed. Henry glowered.

"Well of course not Katherine" Jackson squeezed her leg to calm her down. "We have to leave that up to them"

"Well I'm glad something will be. Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom" She stood up and left the room quickly. Theo was staring into space, half shickered already, completely oblivious to what had just happened. Jackson looked at her worriedly.

After they'd eaten Theo and Nate found themselves sitting at the bar with the gang.

"What do you like love?" Finn asked her.

"Scotch" She replied without thinking. Nate stepped in and ordered her a glass of Sauv Blanc instead. He handed it to her.

"You like this darling"

"No she doesn't" Rory and Tristan say at the same time.

"She loves a good Sangiovese or a Brut," Tristan said forcedly, "not that flat, white puddle in a wine glass" Theo laughed at them and took a sip before making a face. She turned to Nate.

"They're right, I hate this stuff, I don't like white wine".

"Of course you do," Nate said. She silently accepted him and cradled the glass.

Rory was horrified by the display, and furious.

"Leave it Ace," Logan said, trying to soothe her.

"Oh God Logan, how can I? You were there"

"She's a big girl Ror, a big girl who makes her own choices you can't make them for her and I don't think she'd want you to"

"Well she seems ok with Nate making them"

"He's her fiancé"

"That's a dirty word" Rory responded petulantly. Logan laughed gently and hugged her but there was something cold in it and she could feel it.

The speeches were starting. And Theo and Nate took their seats again, their father's both made lovely if predictable speeches about children growing up over night and the next thing you know they're marrying each other. Then it was their friends, Rory made a lovely speech about butterflies, tying it Theo's dress at the ball. She said something about how, despite how small they are, butterflies soar to the most amazing heights, like she hoped Theo would with Nate behind her. There was a little bitterness in her voice then but she hoped nobody had noticed. Then it was Tristan. He was drunk as a lord by the time he got on stage and Rory watched him fascinated. It was like watching a blind man tapping his cane towards a parked car, you can see what's going to happen but in the seconds it takes for you to decide whether to say something, maybe take them by the arm and direct them away, it's too late.

"I have to say, I never thought I would be standing here, in front of this crowd at an engagement party for two of my closest friends. Of course, this is just the entrée; I still have the speech at the wedding. Of course, I have one over most best men, how many can say they bedded the bride before her husband did?" A gasp rippled through the crowd and Nate and Theo's mouths fell open. Tristan laughed.

"Come on, you can't begrudge the best man a tasteless joke in his first speech can you?" The crowd laughed uncertainly. He laughed again and strode across the stage.

"But seriously, this is a happy night, two of my…closest friends, together…happily. Having their lives planned out for them by Henry." The crowd laughed again but Tristan knew he was hitting chords with Theo and he pushed on.

"I've known Nate since we were in diapers, we gravitated towards each other, probably because we were such badly behaved kids…nothing's changed. We were dorm-mates through high school. I met Theo when she transferred to Chilton. And what a little spitfire she was…caused quite the stir in society. Who could forget the time that Nate saved her life when she plunged head first into my grandparent's pool at the vineyard after drinking a bottle of champagne when she was seventeen?" The crowd laughed again.

"She was always a beautiful girl, but for some reason, Nate had no interest in her at high school, or at least, not until she went blond. He takes after his father in that respect." Henry laughed heartily. Tristan sobered a little, his voice a little deeper, a little darker.

"Actually it's interesting, that even once he finally woke up to what an utterly…amazing girl he had, he kept it a secret. Maybe he just wanted to keep her all to himself, maybe not" He was staring hard at Nate now who looked like he was ready to kill someone. Katherine was grinning ear-to-ear. God she loved this boy. Tristan winked at her.

"So they finally told people, well, not me, or Theo's best friend, interestingly enough, we only found out a few weeks ago how in love they are…isn't that right Rory?" The crowd turned to Rory who looked mortified.

"Uh…yes" Logan was in hysterics next to her and she elbowed him.

"Right, so we were finally told and you know what, like Theo's parents, Katherine and Jackson, I just could not possibly be happier. Although, they might need a long engagement as a year doesn't appear long enough to get to know someone seeing as though Nate ordered the veal fettuccini and a glass of sauv blanc for Theo tonight when we know that she's a vegetarian who doesn't drink white wine" The crowd roared with laughter and Nate burned red.

"Anyway, in closing, to Nate and Theo…just so perfectly suited" He raised his scotch and downed it one gulp.

"That was very naughty Tristan"

"You loved it Katherine"

"The boy doesn't lie"

"The boy is drunk and is going to getting one hell of a phone call from Nate tomorrow"

"Was it worth it"

"Fuck yes" She laughed.

Theo and Nate made their way to the floor as _Iris _played. Neither had said anything about the speech. They danced slowly but this time she didn't rest her head on his shoulder.

_**And I don't want the world to see me,**_

_**Cause I don't think that they'd understand.**_

_**When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am.**_

"The next time that you'll look so beautiful and we'll dance like this will be at our wedding" Nate whispered to her. She felt cold at his words, numb. Like she was out of her body, a feeling she was growing used to lately. Slowly she lifted her head to see Tristan at the other side of the room and they locked eyes across the crowd.

_**Cause you can't the tears that ain't coming,**_

_**Or the moment of truth in your lie…**_

**AN: _Let me know if you liked the speech. I loved it. Remember to R&R_**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: _Thank you so much Sparxx27 for your last review! I'm glad it wasn't just me._**

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing – especially now that I've been outbid on E-Bay – especially not the _Gilmore Girls, _duh._

Rory sat at the desk in her bedroom at Emily and Richard's. She had a book open in front of her that a careers counselor had given her in high school. It went through almost every career there was and how to get into them. She leafed through half-heartedly. She'd always been so certain, so steadfast about Journalism but now? Not so much. She sighed loudly. It was as though she was at crossroads in every facet of her life. Several directions branched out all around her. Her college career? She wrinkled her nose. She was just so over it. There was no passion, no art in Journalism and she was biter about ever even getting a job. Her mother? That made her cringe every time. She hadn't called the second Lorelai in weeks, not even to tell her about Theo and Nate. She probably should have but she couldn't stand the silences they lapsed into now. Logan? Oh god, Logan. She loved him, she knew it, knew it in every way you could know it. She'd told him the night of the _All the Children _ball that she had thought she could change Tristan, wasn't she just doing the same thing here? She'd closed her eyes and turned to her head from so many indiscretions. Like Helen, Helen had been whom she'd been worried about when Logan was going to Vegas with the boys. Helen was gorgeous; Helen was an accounting student at Yale. Helen was tall and a redhead with huge green eyes and perfect long legs. Helen was who Rory had first found Logan in bed with, and second, and fourth. The third was Louise. She sighed heavily again and reached for her cell where it was ringing.

"Hey Ace"

"Hey, I was just thinking about you" She could almost hear his smirk.

"_Really_?…"

Theo was sitting in the kitchen when the post arrived.

"You've got a letter Ms. Adam's" Katrina, the maid told her. Theo took it gratefully, her eyes lit up when she saw it was from Germany, that's where Antonina was then. She tore it open and scanned the single page, it was from Janna. Her eyes filled with tears almost as soon as she reads the words on the page.

"Are you okay Ms. Adams?" Katrina asked. Theo nodded, swiping at her eyes.

"Yes, yes thank you. I'm going to g for a walk"

Tristan rang the doorbell, he hadn't seen Theo since the engagement party and decided it was time to swallow his pride and apologise. Katrina answered the door.

"Hello Mr. DuGrey"

"Hello Katrina, is Theo in?"

"No sir, she went for a walk"

"Oh ok, can you please tell her I called?"  
"Yes sir"

"Thank you" He started to walk back to his place, cutting through the thin woods separating their properties. That was when he saw her, standing at the edge of the woods edging the back of her property in a long cardigan, he hair tangling in the breeze. He started towards her. She was still; her face impassive as he approached her, in her hand was a letter. She stared calmly into space.

"Theo?" She didn't turn. "Theo, are you okay?" She nodded. Gently, he took the piece of paper and read it.

"Who is Antonina?"

"Was"

"What?"

"Who _was _Antonina, not is anymore"

"Who was she?"

"You wouldn't understand"

Theo was nearly sixteen. But for some reason, she had no problem getting into the bars in Prague. She was alone this night, it didn't matter, and she always met somebody. She ordered a vodka and sat in the corner with her book. She didn't know how long she'd been there before somebody sat down opposite her.

"_Are you an idealist or a realist?" The person asked her in Russian. Theo raised her eyebrow._

"_Excuse me"_

"_Are you an idealist or a realist…no wait, let me guess. You're underage and in a club, you're an idealist, just like Keats, a romantic. I love that it's so fey. I'm Antonina"_

"_Theo" They grinned at each other. Antonina towered over her and had a shock of white-blond hair that floated down to her waist in lose spirals._

"_I'm a Virgo and a vegan, I can't decide whether it's because of cruelty to animals or mad cow disease but I like it. I drink chai tea with honey and soymilk and I smoke too many cigarettes. And I make it my mission to save people's lives from the dreariness of the every day" From anybody else that speech would be ridiculous but from her Theo believed it. "So come, put that book away, although I completely support the perusal of good literature, but at the moment, there are people to be met" She grasped Theo's hand and Theo had the dreadful thought that one day, she might let go._

"She was my mentor" Theo told him in a monotone. She was wonderful, magical, fey, I didn't think she'd ever die" He stepped towards her and held her. She didn't respond at all, just kept staring at some place in the woods. He grasped her shoulders and shook her.

"For Christ's sake Theo, kick, scream, be human!"

"Now where would be the point in that?" She asked, her face deadpan.

"What is wrong with you? Where's the girl I used to know? You're living this half-life, one you used to swear you never wanted. What happened?"

"I grew up"

"Bullshit Theo, bullshit! Stop fighting me! You won't answer my questions!" She finally turned to him, her eyes glazed over.

"You want answers? Fine, but you're not gonna like them," He shrugged, "It got to me Tristan! You got to me. In the end it hurt too much to care so damn much about everything!" Suddenly the tears came, coursing down her flushed cheeks in salty rivulets.

"I betrayed her Tristan, I betrayed everything we stood for together" She crouched to the ground. "And now I don't know how to fix it! Is that what you wanted to hear? That I've fucked up my life and don't know what to do?"

"What do you want to do?" He ignored her accusations calmly.

"I want to scream" She replied through her sobs. "I want to tear my hair out from its roots. I want to break things and kick up clumps of grass."

"So why don't you?" She looked up at him and slowly gets back up to her feet.

"We can't go around doing whatever we want"

"Why not?"

"Because then we'd all go around doing stupid things like this" She reached up to clasp her arms around his neck and crushed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

**AN: _I wanted Theo to break down really badly at some point, like really badly. She needed something tangible to tear her apart, and the death of her very close friend was it. We're almost finished now…definitely on the home stretch._**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: _I'm really not a big fan of song fic's but this song was just so perfect for this chapter that it was ridiculous. Every time I thought about writing this chapter the damn song would get stuck in my head. Oh, and by the way, the song is "Half Life" by Duncan Sheik. Oh and a big apology to Sparxx27, I know you may not like this chapter…I'm sorry._**

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own the _Gilmore Girls_, and, most likely, neither do you._

Rory's POV 

_**I'm awake in the afternoon,**_

_**Fell asleep in the living room,**_

The heavy drapes were closed; making the living room of Logan's apartment darker than it should be in the early evening. In the corner the television was playing re-runs of _One Tree Hill_ quietly and Rory lay asleep half-on half-off the couch. Logan stepped through the door and stopped dead when he saw her, finally breathing a sigh of relief when he realised she was asleep. He crossed to where she lay, took off his shoes and climbed on the couch next to her, breathing in the apple-scent of her hair. As his eyes closed, hers snapped open.

_**And it's one of those moments where everything is so clear,**_

_Rory walked briskly down Logan's street. They had agreed to meet for lunch in the city that day. He said he needed to get her mind off things; perhaps they should go have lunch, see and movie. She had smiled and agreed. He could be so thoughtful at times. It was one of the many contradictions he embodied. His apartment was in sight now, she could see him standing out the front of it in the pale blue shirt she'd bought him a few weeks before. She smiled ad waved at him but he wasn't looking at her, no, his eyes were on the blond leaving the apartment and jumping into his arms. Her stomach dropped and her head span. She felt like she was going to be sick. He'd promised her he'd stop this, stop the sneaking around. He said he'd try and have a real relationship with her. She stopped dead and watched them walk away, his arm slung around the other girl's shoulders. Rory looked down at the outfit she was wearing, one he had picked out, a tiny white singlet with a crochet beige shrug and a denim mini-skirt. She wanted to tear it off. That bastard!_

_Calmly she let herself into his apartment, she'd wait for him._

She stirred under his confining arm.

_**Before the truth goes back into hiding,**_

_**I want to decide 'cause it's worth deciding,**_

_**To work on finding something more than this fear.**_

"Hey baby," He murmured into her hair, "I'm sorry I missed our date. I had a family emergency. I tried to call you".

_**It takes so much out of me to pretend,**_

_**Tell me now, tell me how to make amends.**_

Rory turned and smiled saccharine sweetly at him and he grinned, dipping his head to kiss she pulled away and climbed off the couch, swaying her hips as she walked to the windows and peeked out of the blinds where it was still day. Turning back to him, she wrenched the blind open ferociously.

"This Logan," She said calmly, sweeping her arm to indicate outside the window, "is daylight. You'd better wake up to it, because I finally have". With that she picked up her purse and stormed out of the apartment, hearing him calling after her as she hurried away. Se waited until she was in the street before she burst into tears and pulled out her cell, dialing the familiar numbers.

"Dragonfly Inn, this is Lorelai?"

"Mom?"

_**Maybe, I need to see the daylight,**_

_**To leave behind this half-life,**_

_**Don't you see I'm breaking down?**_

_**Lately something here don't feel right,**_

_**This is just a half-life,**_

Tristan's POV 

He was pushing himself hard than her did most morning on his jog. He had increased his distance this summer, no guesses why. He rounded to corner of the track which ran through the woods surrounding their houses and looked up at hers, knowing every window, every secret of that place.

_**Is there really no escape,**_

_**No escape from time,**_

_**Of any kind?**_

He had to get over this, get her out of his head, had to figure out other things, liked what he was going to do with his life. He sped up to a sprint for the last few hundred feet. He was studying law but was that what he wanted? His father seemed proud, but he still assumed Tristan would join DuGrey Enterprises, and he didn't necessarily want that. He looked back up at his curtains but they were still closed. Finally he reached his own front door and grasped the handle, leaning over, panting.

They lay together in her king-sized bed at her grandparents' house. She was asleep on her side, her back to him but he couldn't sleep. At least, he felt as though he couldn't. Like he had to stay here, protect her, never leave her. He was so confused, he never felt like this, he'd never spent the night with another person. Pretty fucked up, he knew, but then, he'd also never had sex in his own bed…well, until her. Unconsciously a small smile spread pulled at the corners of his mouth and his hand, hovering barely above her skin traced her outline from her shoulder to her hip. He wanted to leave, because that's what he did. But he wanted to stay, why? Maybe he could do it, just tonight. Softly he moved closer to her an laid his head on the pillow, in seconds he was asleep.

The next night there was a party at her grandparent's house. He was late arriving, his parents had had a fight about his mother's trip to the spa the next weekend and Anne was still seething at Cal's interference. Together they made their way into the party. Immediately his eyes sought her out and then he saw her. Wearing a soft, floating lemon and white chiffon Grecian gown, her fair coiled and looped around her head and a small, gold band running across her forehead and around the curls. Unconsciously he was moving towards her. She was talking to Lisa and Paris excitedly and her small hands flitted around like little white doves. She turned and saw him and the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen was bestowed on him. He stopped dead and he realised…he was in love with her.

Anne and Lisa were having breakfast, Lisa was leaving in a few days, but it had certainly been an eventful trip. He took his seat at the table, greeting them both and poured himself a bowl of muesli and peaches.

_**I keep trying to understand,**_

_**This thing and that thing, my fellow man,**_

_**I guess I'll let you know,**_

_**When I figure it out.**_

"Will you come back for the weddings darling?" Tristan looked up.

"Sorry Anne?" Lisa asked.

"Will you come back for the weddings? Louise and Rupert's and Theodora and Nathan's?" Lisa replied that she would as long as she could get the time off college, but she didn't see a problem.

"Well then, you must stay here again"

_**But I don't mind a few mysteries,**_

_**They can stay that way it's fine by me,**_

_**And you are another mystery I am missing.**_

Slowly, he was beginning to realise that physically he was ready to let her go, but never emotionally. She'd been a mystery to him. Rory Gilmore had been interesting because she was different, not from society. But Theo, she was a society girl yet so thoroughly removed from it. She had shunned parties and lunches and the snobbery and Clayton, had never traded on her name. Yet she had never judged them, none of them, not even him. For all their faults that she didn't understand, the bets, the promiscuity, the drinking, she didn't judge. She had been his friend, a great friend. She was wrong wen she said they'd never been friends, they had been. And it had been as intense as their relationship. She had crashed into him like a wave, and she still did. But she was also still a mystery to him. He didn't understand what she had meant. He had always thought she was strong, how had she just curled up, defeated, the way she had? Yet deep down, he knew it was his fault, that what he had said and done had helped drag her down.

_**Maybe, I need to see the daylight,**_

_**To leave behind this half-life,**_

_**Don't you see I'm breaking down?**_

_**Lately something here don't feel right,**_

_**This is just a half-life,**_

_**Is there really no escape,**_

_**No escape from time,**_

_**Of any kind?**_

He touched his fingers to his lips, he'd always have that crazy, hysterical kiss in the woods though. Nobody was taking that away, not even her.

_**Come on let's fall in love,**_

'**_Cause lately something here don't feel right,_**

_**This is just a half-life,**_

_**Without you I'm breaking down.**_

Theo lay awake on her side in bed, staring at the heavy drapes that shielded her from daylight. She slowly twisted the engagement ring around her finger as her mind drifted to her kiss with Tristan. It had been so crazy, so hysterical, just like her a few years ago. She had felt like the old Theo. She had changed, she knew it. She denied it for a long time but the didn't lie all these people who loved her.

_**Wake me, let me see the daylight,**_

_**Save me from this half-life,**_

Slowly she climbed out of bed and moved to her computer. She opened an Internet browser window and made her way the student sight for Columbia. They had a renowned careers counselor and she tapped out a quick email, clicking send bore she could think about it.

Slipping into a pair of shorts and a singlet she threw open the curtains and stepped onto her balcony, seeing Tristan on his with a morning coffee ad the newspaper.

_**Let's you and I escape,**_

_**Escape from time.**_

She took a deep breath;

"DuGrey!" She yelled across the morning air. He jumped and looked across at her.

"Theo?"

"Yeah! Come on, get Lisa! Let's go to the beach!" Behind her, on the desk, next to the computer lay her engagement ring, winking in the light.

**Come on let's fall in love** **Come on let's fall in love** **Come on let's fall in love again.**

**AN: _See, see? I told you all that song was perfect. I don't even like it that much, it was just too perfect though. R&R_**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:_ A huge thank you to the two readers I know I have, and who I love and who keep me want to post these chapters. It's amazing, these stories have been in my head for so long now, nearly two years and to see that story coming to an end is incredible._**

**Disclaimer: **_I obviously don't own _GG.

It was the last party of the season, the Gilmore's End of Summer Party. Theo and Rory were upstairs in Rory's bedroom with Lorelai. Theo was in the bathroom fixing her hair, they had been to the hairdressers that afternoon and she had had it stripped and dyed back to closer to it's original colour, a rich medium brown with golden high-lights. Nobody had seen it yet apart from Rory and Lorelai. It was pulled back from her face but spiralled loosely down her back. She sprayed the curls once more with hairspray and smiled at the banter coming from Rory's room. She had made up with Lorelai when she broke up with Logan. Not because she thought that that was the proviso for them going back to the way they were, but purely because as old as she got, and how varied the hurts she experienced, Rory realised she still need her mommy, always would. And Lorelai had been there with open arms. Richard and Emily had been thrilled at the reconciliation as well of course, so the party was a double celebration.

Theo popped some more lip-gloss on and stepped out into the room. Lorelai was already wearing her dress, a simple spaghetti-strap bright pink sheath dress with her hair piled on top of her head and a chiffon wrap in the same colour. Theo had helped Rory choose an apricot two-piece dress. The skirt was calf-length made of layers upon layers of apricot tulle with a wide beaded satin sash that matched the beaded satin bandeau top and off set her eyes. She was running around now though in the top and a pair of shorts so she didn't crush the skirt. She sat down on the couch to lace up the apricot ballet slippers she was going to wear. It would be a rainbow ball, Emily had requested, at Lorelai's behest, no black or white dresses or ties.

"We're celebrating mom! There has to be colour" And for once, Emily had loved the idea, even enough to invite Luke who was somewhere in the house getting ready with Richard. The party was starting in twenty minutes. Theo smiled when she thought of the dress hanging in Rory's closet in a black suit bag. Nobody had seen it yet. She had designed it herself; taking after her mother in that respect, and a local seamstress had made it up. She knew it would be a success.

"Come on Gilmore, move your ass," Theo said, slapping her butt as Rory hopped from one foot to the other. Rory squealed and swatted her away.

"Says you who hasn't even put on h shoes"

"At least I know how to do mine up" She retorted and Lorelei laughed.

"Well guys, I'm going to go and find my fiancé" Theo smiled when she heard that word, what a relief not to have to say it anymore.

Theo was still angry with Nate for not listening to her when she had told him she didn't want to go out that night, yet here they were in the restaurant of the country club. When the waitress had arrived he had tried to order for her but she had cut in.

"_I'll have the Greek salad thanks," She told the waitress with a finality that let Nate know he didn't need to order for her that night. When the waitress was gone she turned to Nate._

"_We need to talk"_

"_I know, the wedding, do you want to get married h? Or perhaps we could just elope, away from my father," He laughed. "Seriously though, here or maybe in Paris?" The waitress arrived with their drinks._

"_I didn't mean about the wedding?"_

"_What then?" He asked, taking a sip of his scotch before adding, "you'll need to get your hair re-done soon honey, your re-growth is showing" She sputter in shock and flicker of anger ignited in her stomach._

"_Nate I'm not happy"_

"_What do you mean? We're getting married!"_

"_Exactly and I'm the quintessential blushing bride" She retorted._

"_You're stepping into dangerous waters Theodora, you're sounding like the old you" His voice was raised._

"_Would that be such a bad thing?" She hissed as the other diners turned to stare. For the first time in his life though, Nate didn't care about causing a scene. _

"_What are you trying to say Theo? Where's you're engagement ring?" She opened her purse and retrieved the small scarlet box, setting it in front of him. The realisation hit his face and a lump formed in her throat. He turned scarlet as she spoke._

"_I'd like to say that I don't know what I've been thinking for the past year Nate, but some of it was good, some of it was really good. It was just never me" She tried to cover his hand with hers but he recoiled as though she wielded a knife. _

"_You fucking bitch! Don't you dare pity me!" The other diners gasped and started to chatter. She stood to her feet._

"_I told you I didn't want to go out tonight Nate, I didn't want to do this in public" She told him calmly before she stormed off. _

Rory watched Theo; she looked so calm, so happy, so much like the Theo Rory had missed so much. She had broken it off with Nate four days before. The rumours started racing within minutes of Theo fleeing the country club. Louise had called Rory gabbling excitedly; asking for the real story and Rory had climbed into her car and sped to Hartford to confront Theo. When she'd gotten there she'd found Theo and Katherine sharing a bottle of champagne in the conservatory. Her parent's were delirious with the news, they'd been so worried but now they finally had their daughter back.

Theo was quiet now though, standing in front of the mirror putting on the diamond studs her grandparent's had given her for graduation from high school.

"Are you worried about seeing him?" Rory asked quietly. Theo froze.

"I didn't want to hurt him Rory. He's not a bad guy, he was just bad for me"

"I know you didn't, but you've spent the last couple of years trying to keep people happy and you're a testament to how that fails" Theo smiled wanly and they hugged. Emily tapped on the door and entered.

"Girls, the guests will be arriving in the next few minutes" They both nodded. "It's wonderful to see you Theo…" Getting the feeling that her grandmother was about to bring up Nate, Rory shot her a warning look and she retreated.

"Well, this is it hon" Theo announced as she crossed to retrieve her dress.

They stood on the stairwell holding hands. The crowd seemed to turn to see them. They were both resplendent in their dresses. But Theo, she dazzled. She style she had designed was skin tight around her breasts, torso and hips before a full a-line skirt fell to skim the floor. The fabric was sensuously soft and filmy in silver. It was almost transparent, like dragonfly wings. The bodice had additionally had added onto it strips of a silver, wiry substance whish feathered around her décolletage and hips. Paired with simple black strappy heels and the diamond earrings she was a vision. Tristan's mouth went dry as he approached her, only seeing her. They found each on the dancefloor and moved into each other's arms as the orchestra Emily had hired played Pachalbel's Cannon.

"You're a mystery to me you know" He told her. She smiled.

"Oh fuck of" The danced slowly, staring into each other's eyes for three songs without realising it until Rory cut in as Nate appeared.

"Will you dance with me?" He asked, unsure of himself and staring at the floor. She took his hand.

"You've changed your hair back"

"Yes"

"I thought we'd dance like this on our wedding day. You were everything I wanted"

"And that was everything I can't be anymore" They danced silently, Nate never looking at her properly while the others watched on until the music faded away, and, with it, so did she.

Tristan smiled wanly at Rory.

"I'm going to go see how she's doing" Rory nodded. She was tired. She hadn't been sleeping since the break-up. She had been so angry at first, she had simmered, alone, all afternoon in that damn apartment but by the time he got back, there was just a sadness. It was the idea, she realised now, the idea of what they could have been. She'd imagined she'd seen love in his eyes when he looked at her, even if he wouldn't say it because that made the ideal seem closer to her than the moon. She shook her head as if trying to clear it of the thoughts of him. She and Theo, what a pair. They'd both had that idea, the idea that they could change the boy and the man they fell for. That for some reason, all the teen movies hadn't lied and players did fall in love.

On the other side of the party Lorelai watched her daughter as she quietened. The laughter died on her lips and her doe eyes glazed. The mother in her sighed inwardly. She had been elated despite the sadness in her daughter's voice that this fling was over. Rory had been turning into someone Lorelai didn't recognise. She drank, she partied, she skipped lectures and handed in essays after their due date, first Dean and then the…incident with the yacht. Logan had been taking her baby away from her and Lorelai had hated him. She didn't know what Rory had seen him. He was the same selfish, arrogant, spoiled brat that had filled the halls of Chilton and made Rory's life a living hell. Sure he was real easy on the eyes, and he had that cheeky grin, and he had spoiled her rotten. But what could he offer her? A highly paid position as Trophy Wife numero uno? Lorelai wanted more for her daughter. What she'd failed to think about, was what Rory wanted, and now Rory was hurting.

Rory sighed, she was sick of smiling and greeting people. He hadn't even called her, hadn't tried to talk to her, or apologise. Only that one call out to her as she fled the apartment. Finn approached her, champagne flute in hand. He proffered it to her but she shook her head.

"I don't feel like drinking tonight," She told him quietly and he just nodded, slipping his arm around her shoulders.

Tristan found Theo standing on the steps leading to the dance floor.

"Are you alright?" She turned to him and smiled weakly, but it was at least a real smile.

"Of course"

"Want some company?"

"Not just yet honey, there's something I have to do"

**AN: _Originally, the story ended here and went straight to an epilogue. But not anymore, all thanks to sparxx27, I have added another two chapters. Stay tuned for Chapter 15 and remember to R&R. Also, I want to know if people would like to see me publish the other installment's of the trilogy, the first; set in Chilton and the second set in the future._**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: _Well it's all coming together now. It's at an end. Sigh. I'll cry into my pillow tonight because it is finally finished. That's it, I won't draw out the suspense. Here it is, in it's completion._**

**Disclaimer:** _I own nothing – especially _GG

Rory and Lorelai were the last to leave the party. Rory was moving back to Stars Hollow for the last few days of summer. Luke was "warming up the car", in truth he was wrenching off his bow tie and muttering under his breath about hating parties like this. They drive back in quiet reflection on the night.

Rory leant her head on the cool window as they drove through Stars Hollow. Why? Why? Why? Why did it have to feel like this? Why couldn't she just get over it? When they got home, Lorelai made them each a cup of coffee. They talked animatedly about the evening, but neither's heart was truly in it. Rory made her way slowly to her room and leaned on the windowsill. It had started to rain, one of those beautiful summer electric storms.

Tristan, Lisa and Theo rode home together, laughing about Paris who that night had kept checking her phone for text messages. She and Doyle were in "talks" with each other to reconcile, or at least, that was what she'd told them all. And Madeline and Harry had been flirting wildly with each other all night. Theo laughed.

"Oh God that brought back memories. Remember those two would always pick up during high school when we used to sneak out to Lewitzan" Tristan nodded. "Oh," She said wistfully. "Remember Lewitzan?" Tristan and Lisa laughed.

"How could I forget, they let me in with an Asian guy's ID!" Theo laughed hysterically and he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"And Wills and I got caught in the toilet by the bodyguard who tried to take photos on his phone" Lisa put in. They all laughed again.

"What time is it?" Theo asked.

"What? I don't know…um…one o'clock?" Tristan was staring at her incredulously. She leaned forward to wind down the glass separating them from the driver.

"Excuse me, could you please take us to 6789 Charlemagne Drive?" Tristan raised his eyebrow.

"Shh," She said, "Don't worry your pretty little head"

"You think I'm pretty he asked?" In a shrill voice, batting his lashes. She just sighed and pulled out her cell.

"Hey Louise? You awake? Good…wait, are you having sex? Eww but good…Tris and I are on our way over _Je to go bld oar. Pall ghem nll_". Lisa clapped her hands, excited. Tristan was confused until he remembered the secret language the girls of DuGrey, level 4 had developed to talk about the guys while the guys were there. It had worked, they'd never been able to understand it.

The limousine swept into Lou's driveway half-an-hour later. She stood on the front verandah, still in her ball gown with Rupert in his suit. Madeline and Harry were there as well with Paris and Wills on their way. Nobody had been able to get onto Rory. It had started to rain and there was going to be a fantastic storm later. Theo, Tristan and Lisa beckoned the others to run to the limo.

"_Ghis vs fuch n treat vdea_" Louise chattered excitedly while the guys looked on, utterly bemused. They all fitted comfortably, with enough room for the others who were pulling into the drive. Louise's cell rang and she answered it.

"Okay, okay we'll see you there…" She hung up, "Paris and Wills are gonna follow us there".

"Where?" Tristan finally asked.

"To the old bar…to Lewitzan" Theo announced, like it was the most obvious thing in the world as she leant forward to give directions to the driver.

Rory was sitting on her bed but her mind was spinning like she'd had too much to drink. She stood up, still in her gown from that night. She needed air. She made her way out to the verandah, ignoring her cell phone that was vibrating crazily on her dresser. She opened the front door slowly and let herself outside. It wasn't cold despite the damp from the still pelting rain. It was deafening as it beat down on the roof. Something made her look up yet she didn't start when she saw somebody standing on the front lawn.

"Logan?" She cried. He was soaked, standing there in jeans and a black shirt. His hair was matted to his head and he stared at her. Ignoring the rain she ran out to him.

"What are you doing here?" She yelled when she got to him. He said something but she couldn't hear him over the rain.

"What?"

"I love you!" He screamed. She stepped back and he made no move to move closer to her.

"What?"

"I love you! That's it! That's all I have to give you!" She stared at him, her hair was hanging wetly around her shoulders and in her eyes but she didn't push it away.

"I could give you anything but you don't want it. I wanted to spell out the word in fireworks. But this is all I have. Standing outside your house in the rain!" He had finally moved closer to her so she could hear him.

"Just…just staring at the windows!" He laughed ruefully. "Wondering which one is yours! And wanting to knock on the door and hold you and never let go!" Tears were in her eyes now.

Lorelai and Luke were peering out the lounge room window. They had heard her leave.

"I'll kill him," Luke was saying but Lorelai held him back.

"Wait"

"But I know Ace…I know…I'm not good enough for you. I cheated; I took it for granted you'd never leave. I don't even know why I cheated, maybe it was because I wanted you to leave, for it to end sooner so I didn't get as hurt. Because I knew I could never end it myself." Their eyes locked and he winced.

"It doesn't matter how many diamonds I can buy you, or how many limousine rides to dates I take you on…I'll never be good enough for you. And that means I have nothing except…" Rory's heart was beating violently somewhere in her body but she wasn't conscious enough to know where. She felt like she was on drugs, in an altered state where she wasn't aware of what was happening to her body.

"…Except the knowledge that I love you" He stared hard at her. She bit her lip and stared up at the sky where lightning was breaking. Logan, Luke and Lorelai were all holding their breath. She mumbled something as the tears started streaming freely down her cheeks.

"What?" Logan, Lorelai and Luke all shouted. Lorelai immediately clapped her hand over her mouth.

"I DON'T NEED FIREWORKS!" She screamed as loudly as she possibly could. In an instant she had thrown herself on him, her arms around his neck as she crushed her lips to his, the rain pouring down on them while Lorelai did a happy dance inside.

**AN: The secret language is one my friends and I used to use at high school. Basically, you "fold" the alphabet in half so each letter has a partner. **

**E.g. There are 26 letters. A is number one, N is number 14, so N replaces A. Therefor, All will become Nll. **

**What Theo said to Louise was _"We go to old bar. Call them All"_. You have to change some grammar around and use smaller words because otherwise it would be obvious, like Pig Latin. If Theo had said _"We're going to Lewitzan, call everybody" _it would have come out as _"Je're toing go Yewitzan. Pall reverybody"_**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: _Perhaps a bit schmaltzy, but I had to end it like this._**

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own the _Gilmore Girls, _duh._

The limo's pulled up out the front of Lewitzan. It was a dark club a few miles from Chilton. They had used to sneak out o their dormitories and walk there along the main road, which was bordered by thick woods they took cover in when cars would travel past, chances were it would be a teacher. They all climbed out and people turned to look. They were so young, so beautiful, and so perfect. They radiated in the gloomy night and passers by were fascinated. Theo took Tristan's hand and led him towards the club, running so they didn't get too wet in the rain. She was laughing and leaning forward, looking…amazing.

The old group made their way through the club to the bar where more were meeting them. But for now it was them. All back together. The music pounded, they were so alive. How did they all seem younger tonight than they had years ago when they had been here last like this? Theo looked around at them all in satisfaction. Paris and Doyle stood stiffly next to each other, but everyone knew they would be okay. Louise had already dragged Rupert onto the dancefloor and they were grinding up against each other. Maddy was giggling against Harry just like a million years ago. Even Wills and Lisa were talking. And she and Tristan? She smiled at where he stood near the bar. It may not have been exactly like old times, but it was pretty perfect.

They had found a table they all gathered around and that was where they were standing when two more arrived to join their little group. Half drowned, Rory and Logan made their way over, arms around each other, Rory's cheeks flushed and a smile surrounding her. She hugged Theo.

"He loves me!" She exclaimed and Theo smiled before hugging Logan.

"Are you sure it's enough?" He whispered to her. She smiled over his shoulder.

"I told you on the phone, if you really love her that's already too much" She whispered back and he hugged her tighter.

Theo was still amazed. How had this all worked out so well. At the start of the summer it had seemed as dreary as a Connecticut winter but now the clouds had broken and everything was beautiful. Others were still pouring in, kids from the ball, still in their suits and dresses. Finn, Colin and Steph clapped Logan on the back and congratulated he and Rory. Summer and Alexis stood by the bar with their college football-star boyfriends. Some things never change she thought. She saw Keegan and Dick, Keely, Veronica and Warren wander past. They stopped to hug and kiss each other on the cheek.

Suddenly a familiar melody started to play. The girls all started squealing. It was the song that had changed their lives in highschool, the song that had brought them all together on this same dancefloor. Not separate and secluded but a part of something bigger than their dormitory pairings, or class groups, the school or society. It was what had been the welding iron of their friendship.

_**Baby you're all that I want**_

_**When you're lying here in my arms**_

_**I'm finding it hard to believe we're in heaven**_

They led the exodus onto the dancefloor. The girls all stood together.

"_Seeing each other can be painful" _Theo screamed.

"_But healing!" _Rory added her voice to the cacophony. Tristan, Logan, Finn and Harry made their way to where the girls were standing. Theo and Tristan locked eyes.

"Ask yourself why there is no freedom" Louise threw in and Rupert wrapped his arms around her. 

"_Truth!" _Theo screamed as Harry picked her up, spinning her around.

"_For yourself…only you" _Paris screamed with reckless abandon. They all looked at her, shocked and she smiled, blushing.

"_Judge…no fear!" _Mads cried, smiling shyly at Harry.

"_Be yourself…" _Louise yelled again.

…_Light!" _Rory an Theo screamed together, hugging each other.

_**We're in heaven**_

Roy looked around her in amazement. She hadn't thought she'd ever see them like this again. She had always accepted the idea that once you finished high school, no matter how hard you tried, old friendships would slip away from where you had kept them tied around your wrist. She had thought she was the only one who still played this song every so often from the mix CD Theo had made in junior year. The only one to still remember the extra lyrics.

_**Oh thinking about our younger years**_

_**There was only you and me**_

_**We were young and wild and free**_

Theo started to sober, thinking about _their _younger years. There had only been them, against the world. They hadn't told anybody…why? She couldn't remember any more. It wasn't just because of Rory. Maybe just life, that they didn't know what to tell people. And they had been wild…but free? She didn't know. Plunging off that balcony she had felt free. And yes, yes, even enveloped in his sweaty arms on her bed, something in her had felt freer than she had since. She felt someone touch her face. He had slipped his finger under her chin and tilted her head up to meet his eyes as he mouthed the words of the next verse.

_**Now nothing can take you away from me**_

_**We've been down that road before**_

_**But that's over now**_

_**You keep me coming back for more**_

She grinned and threw herself at him, he caught her. Why did he always do that? He slipped his arms around her waist and she remembered the night they had danced to _Scars_, when they had fitted together so perfectly. It was different now, but they still fitted somehow. They danced together like that.

_**Baby you're all that I want**_

_**When you're lying here in my arms**_

_**I'm finding it hard to believe we're in heaven**_

Paris and Doyle were dancing stiffly, but they were still dancing. While Louise ground up against a grinning Rupert. It was funny that he was so much older than them, but he fit as well. Somehow, Theo mused, this group of misfits; the sluts, the bitches, the pom's, the mary's, magdalene's, players and drunks, they all fitted.

_**Your love it's all that I need**_

_**And I found it there in your heart**_

_**It isn't too hard to see we're in heaven**_

"You know I was in love with you at high school!" Madeline looked up at Harry as a grin spread from ear to ear.

"Really? Why didn't you tell me idiot?"

"Because you were way too sexy for me" She grinned.

"Well, maybe it was better that way, that we ended up as friends" He looked crestfallen before brightening, hell, at least they were friends…for now.

_**Now nothing can change what you mean to me**_

_**There's a lot that I could say**_

_**But just hold me now**_

_**Cause our love will light the way**_

Lisa was dancing wildly with Finn when Wills joined them.

"I never said sorry"

"What?"

"For breaking up with you, like I did…at the Prom" Lisa smiled genuinely.

"You know what Wills? I've been waiting for two years to hear that. Come here you ass" She pulled him in to dance with her. Rory and Logan looked on and he ran his fingers through her still damp hair.

"I love you" He said quietly.

"I know"

"I love you!" She laughed.

"I know!"

"I know you know…but I just love saying it" He kissed her.

…_**heaven**_

It was the night that they would all remember when they thought back to that summer. The first time they had all been together since senior year, since the blot on their collective history. The night that secrets were spilled and old wrongs righted. The night when realisations were made along with promises that would be kept. It was the night that they knew that dreams would come true and that when they did and didn't, this would remain.

_**Now our dreams are coming true**_

_**Through the good times and the bad**_

_**I'll be standing there by you**_

_**We're in heaven**_

**AN: _Obviously, the song that's playing is DJ Sammy's "Heaven". The alternate lyrics the girls are screaming out, are the words that play throughout the video-clip which is awesome. Well, it's been great writing this but the last chapter must be posted._**


	17. EPLIOGUE

EPILOGUE 

Summer was over, not officially of course, but the days were getting shorter and cooler. Rory, Theo, Wills and Tristan had seen Lisa back to England the day before. It had been teary between the girls, especially the old room-mates. They had gotten to know each other al over again during the past week.

And now they were all making plans, brought back to reality by the changing leaves. Tristan was heading back to Harvard, Rory to Yale and Theo was moving out of the apartment she shared with Nate. He was in Florida for the weekend and she was staying with Tarique, a friend from college.

Tristan and Rory were meeting her at the apartment to help. Theo walked to the apartmen from Tarique's, savoring the last of the lazy summer sun. As she neared the apartment she could see them sitting out the front, they had driven up together.

Tristan looked up from where he was sitting on the low wall, and she was there, like she'd been for more than two years now. The girl he'd loved the girl he still loved. He had come so close to blurting it out that night, to tearing himself open and screaming it to the world. But he couldn't…it wasn't that he was frightened, although, in a way he was. It was just that she was so beautiful, so perfect right now that he didn't want anything to mark it, because if it did it would be indelible. And this clear picture of her was what he wanted to take away, to lock up in a drawer so he could take it out on dark days and live by its illumination.

The excitement was building up in Theo, as long as a tinge of sadness that she quashed. Her heart fluttered and she felt as though her feet couldn't carry her fast enough as she broke into a run.

She was running towards him now, her hair streaming out behind her. She was everything that young and beautiful was supposed to be.

"_I like the way you don't hide it when you're excited about something" a small smile played with corners of her mouth and he kissed her._

"I got it! I got it!" She cried as she came closer to them. He didn't know what she was talking about but caught her when she threw herself into his arms, never wanting to let go of this gift.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her and she laughed, throwing her head back as he set her down.

"The woman at the party who asked about my dress? That niece of Emily's old friend? She owns _Starry Fae_ the major fashion house in London Tristan! She wants me to go and study under her! I'm going to London! Can you believe it?" In those few seconds his world came crashing down. One the one hand he had Theo back one the other he was losing her all over again.

"That's something I can believe in" He told her with a smile"

Rory hugged her.

"Is this what you want?"

"It's what I want right now" Theo answered happily and Rory smiled, it was enough, it was too much. Tristan watched both his girls. So were so happy, so full of life. He had preached about half-lives to Theo. Was that what his was now?

They started up the steps but Theo stopped. Tristan and Rory, a step above her looked down, confused.

"You know, this is profound…but we will never be more young and beautiful than we are at this exact moment"

No…it couldn't be. He couldn't be living a half-life while he was content, enjoying his study and had his girls back and happy. Suddenly he knew this was where he was supposed to be now, who knew in two years time? Who cared? The three linked arms and continued up the steps to the apartment.

**AN: _Well, that's it. That's all I have. I am so proud of actually finishing this, it's been a mammoth effort between work and uni. Please still R&R and let me know if I should publish the first and third installments of the trilogy. The third follows them into these new lives they're all forging, and the first is set at Chilton. _**


End file.
